A Malaysian man has gone viral after spending nearly an hour on a phone call with scammers impersonating officers from the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) and the police, in an unusual attempt to waste their time and expose their tactics.
Facebook user Ooi Beng Cheang shared that he received a suspicious call on 4 March involving an automated voice claiming he had outstanding tax payments. Instead of hanging up, he decided to stay on the line to observe how the scam would unfold.
Ooi then posed as a vulnerable elderly man, introducing himself as a retired Chinese cleaner living alone in Johor Bahru with no family support, while also pretending to have savings in the bank. He said the intention was to see how far the scammers would go with their deception.
According to his account, the scammer first introduced a fake LHDN officer before transferring the call to another individual posing as a police sergeant from the Penang police headquarters. The impersonator even attempted to get him to “report” his own fabricated case over the phone.
Throughout the conversation, Ooi maintained his character, even entertaining the scammers’ questions about his personal details, which he believes are typically used to identify potential victims, especially retirees who may be more vulnerable.
As the call progressed, the scammers escalated their claims, alleging that Ooi was linked to money laundering involving RM1.4 million through a bank account. He continued to stall them by pretending to cooperate, including delaying tactics such as saying he was going to withdraw money.
He later joked that the scammers eventually became frustrated when he did not follow instructions, including failing to go to an ATM as requested, before they finally ended the call.
Ooi’s video and story quickly gained traction online, drawing thousands of views and praise from netizens who commended his humour and patience in handling the situation. Many described his actions as a clever way of exposing scam tactics while entertaining the public.
Others also shared similar experiences, warning that such scam calls often come from mobile numbers and urged people to hang up immediately and avoid engaging with the callers.
