SIBU: A retired teacher from Bintulu was defrauded of RM199,000 in a scam in Macau.
Bintulu OCPD Superintendent Batholomew Umpit said on Sunday July 3 that the 63-year-old’s ordeal began on June 30 when she received a call from a courier company in Kuala Lumpur informing her that a package was intended had been wrongly sent. to a company in Pahang.
The suspect told him that the package which allegedly contained his ID card, ATM and credit cards had been detained by Sabah police.
“The line was then reportedly transferred to a police officer at a police station in Sabah who asked him to settle the matter.
“He was told to appeal as his name would have been blacklisted for money laundering,” he said.
The victim was ordered to open a new bank account and transfer all his money there for investigation.
“She registered the suspect’s mobile number in her new account and also gave the card details,” Superintendent Batholomew said.
The woman realized she had been tricked when her bank told her that a total of RM199,000 from her account had been transferred to two of the suspect’s accounts from July 1-2.
Superintendent Batholomew advised people not to panic if they received such calls from strangers claiming to be from government departments, banks, insurance companies and courier companies.
“End the call immediately and do not call any number provided by suspects. Also do not provide account details to suspects,” he said.
He said the public can also check a suspect’s phone number with CCID Check Scammers or at http://semakmule.rmp.gov.my.
Alternatively, they can call the CCID Scam Response Center on 03-2610 1559 and 03-2610 1599 for advice regarding online scams.
The term “Macau scam” was coined because it is believed to have originated in Macau or the first victims came from there.
The scam often begins with a phone call from someone claiming to be a bank, government or law enforcement agent or debt collector.
The scammer will tell the potential victim that they owe money or have an unpaid fine, often with a very short window to settle the payment or face “disastrous consequences”.
Victims will then be asked to make payments to get them off the hook.
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