JOHOR BARU: A retiree and a clerk incurred losses of over RM2.2mil after falling prey to scam syndicates.
Johor deputy police chief Deputy Comm M. Kumar said the man and woman lodged separate reports on Friday (Dec 29) and Saturday (Dec 30).
He said the first case involved a 45-year-old woman who received a phone call from an individual who introduced himself as a police officer, in November.
“The victim was told by the suspect that her bank account was used for money laundering and he offered his help.
“This “officer” instructed the victim to handover her bank account details including her online banking access to him as part of the “investigation” against her, which she followed,” he said in a statement here on Sunday (Dec 31).
He added the victim only realised she had been cheated after finding more than RM1mil had been transferred out from her bank account while the suspect could no longer be contacted.
DCP Kumar said the second case involved a 70-year-old man who received a phone call in September from an individual working from a company that promises handsome investment returns in a short period.
“Initially, the victim invested a small amount of money where he received his profits as promised. This made him believe in the investment scheme.
“The victim then made several more transactions totaling up to RM1.2mil but only found that he had been cheated after being unable to take out his profits and was told to make more payments,” he said adding that both cases were being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
DCP Kumar said the public should be more vigilant when getting calls from unknown individuals.
He added they should also get the latest information on scams via the police commercial crime department social media platforms.
He added that scam victims should immediately contact the national scam response centre (NSRC) at 997.
