A university student lost RM32,115 after falling victim to a scam involving fraudsters impersonating police officers in Karak, Bentong.
The 18-year-old victim reportedly handed over RM6,115 in cash and jewellery worth an estimated RM26,000 belonging to her parents after being threatened with arrest over alleged money laundering offences.
Bentong acting district police chief Deputy Superintendent Azmi Mahmod said police received a report about the incident on Saturday.
Preliminary investigations found that the victim received a phone call on October 7 from an individual claiming to be a police officer.
“The caller alleged that the victim was involved in a money laundering case and threatened to arrest her if she failed to follow the instructions given,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Fearing the threats, the victim was tricked into taking her parents’ cash and jewellery before handing them over to a woman wearing a face mask near a supermarket in Karak.
She was also instructed to keep the matter secret from her family and others.
Following the report, officers from the Bentong district police headquarters’ Commercial Crime Investigation Division arrested a 21-year-old woman near the supermarket at around 6.20pm on Saturday.
Azmi said investigations revealed that the suspect had allegedly been offered a job by the scam syndicate, which claimed she had been appointed as a member of the police’s “Special Action Unit”.
The suspect was allegedly instructed to collect cash and jewellery from victims before passing the items to a third party arranged by the syndicate.
“The purported appointment was believed to be part of the syndicate’s modus operandi to deceive the suspect into believing that the assigned task was an official police duty,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. Further investigations are underway to establish the suspect’s actual role and identify other individuals believed to be involved.
Azmi stressed that police would never instruct anyone to hand over cash or jewellery to settle a case over the phone.
He urged the public not to fall for threats of arrest or job offers that misuse the name and identity of the police force.
Anyone receiving similar calls should verify the claims directly with a nearby police station and report any suspicious activity, he added.
