KUALA LUMPUR: An 80-year-old retired lecturer lost around 2.6 million RM to a scam in Macau.
Deputy head of Kuala Lumpur’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) Superintendent Tan Poh Cheok said the woman received a call from a con artist posing as a Telekom Malaysia officer on October 1. .
“The scammer told him that a phone line in his name was being used for illegal gambling and money laundering. He was then asked to make a few transfers in the amount of RM730,000,” he said. she said in a statement Friday, November 5.
Superintendent Tan said the victim was also ordered to hand over his ATM card details,
“She discovered that there had been an unauthorized transaction of RM 1,877,000. After realizing that she had been duped, the victim filed a report on Tuesday November 2. We are investigating under section 420 of the Criminal code for cheating, ”she added.
Superintendent Tan advised the public to be cautious and practice various ways to avoid falling victim to scams in Macau, including obtaining full details of an investigation if an agent from a department or agency entity called them.
“Get the caller’s name and rank and where they work. Call the same agency through their official phone line. Never give out bank details to a third party,” she said.
Superintendent Tan urged those with information on any crime or suspicious activity to contact the KL Police Hotline at 03-2146 0584/0585 or any nearest police station.
Scams in Macau often begin with a phone call from someone posing as a bank, government or law enforcement agent or debt collector.
The scammer will then claim that the potential victim owes money or has an unpaid fine, often with a very short window of less than an hour, to settle the payment or face “dire consequences”.
These unsuspecting victims will then be asked to make payments to bail them out.
