A 75-year-old woman in Kuching has fallen victim to a phone scam, losing RM706,000, according to Kuching police chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu.
The Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) received the report yesterday. Alexson explained that the incident began on August 28 when the victim received a call at home from an unknown number, 016-9934728, with the caller claiming to represent the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC).
“The caller alleged that the victim’s identification card was linked to criminal offences involving fraud and illegal funds,” he said.
The call was later transferred to another number, 019-7963249, belonging to an individual identified as ‘Tuan Ling,’ and further communication took place via WhatsApp. The suspect instructed the victim to transfer money for an alleged Bank Negara Malaysia investigation. Following the instructions, the woman transferred a total of RM706,000 through two separate transactions into two company bank accounts.
The victim only realised she had been defrauded after confiding in a friend, who advised her to lodge a police report.
ACP Alexson said that 93 police reports involving a similar modus operandi have been recorded in Kuching this year, with total losses amounting to RM6,671,575.50, including this latest case. Investigations are ongoing under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
The police urged the public not to panic when receiving suspicious calls. Citizens are advised to end such calls immediately, avoid sharing personal or banking information, and verify information with the nearest police station. Suspicious phone numbers and bank accounts can be checked through the Semak Mule portal.
For enquiries or complaints, the NCID Sarawak hotline can be reached at 011-62890089 or via email at kisikswk@rmp.gov.my. The 24-hour NSRC hotline is available at 997.
