A 63-year-old man lost his entire savings of more than RM1.12 million after falling victim to a phone scam involving individuals who impersonated a prosecutor and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) officers.
The self-employed local man only realised he had been deceived after visiting a police station to seek clarification on the matter.
Johor Bahru Selatan District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Azrul Hisham Mohd Shaffei said the victim received a phone call from a woman on March 4, who allegedly claimed to be a prosecutor.
He said the victim was falsely informed that he was involved in a money laundering case before being connected to several other individuals claiming to be BNM officers.
According to Azrul Hisham, the suspects then instructed the victim to open a special bank account supposedly for investigation purposes and transfer his savings into the account.
“From March until May, the victim, who was panicked and followed the instructions given by the suspects, carried out 51 transactions involving several bank accounts.
“The total amount transferred from his own savings was RM1.125 million,” he said in a statement.
He added that the victim also made additional payments after being told they were needed for investigation purposes, court guarantees and document processing.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Azrul Hisham reminded the public that enforcement agencies, including the police, courts, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and financial institutions, would never instruct individuals to open new bank accounts or transfer money through phone calls.
He advised the public not to panic when receiving calls involving accusations of criminal offences and to immediately verify the information with the relevant agencies.
“Do not share banking information such as account numbers, TAC or OTP codes. Never open bank accounts or apply for loans based on instructions from unknown individuals,” he said.
Members of the public were also advised to check suspicious accounts through the official Semak Mule portal before making any transactions.
Azrul Hisham urged anyone who suspects they have fallen victim to a scam to immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 for assistance.
