By Aida Aziz
IPOH: A 45-year-old woman lost her savings totaling RM1.28 million after being deceived by an online scam (phone scam) claiming to resolve a non-existent criminal case since the end of last year.
Ipoh District Police Acting Chief, Supt Mohamad Sajidan Abdul Sukor, said the police received a report from the victim, who works as a trader, on Wednesday, March 5.
He said the incident occurred on December 2 of last year when the victim received a phone call from an unknown number.
“The suspect informed her that her bank account was blocked due to overdue car loan debts.
“The call was then transferred to a bank officer, and she was contacted by a man who claimed to be from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
“The suspect said the victim was involved in money laundering,” he said.
He added that, out of fear, the victim followed the instructions given and made seven gradual money transfers starting from December 3, 2024, to February 10, 2025, into three different bank accounts.
The total amount transferred was RM1,285,230, and the suspect promised to contact the victim again to return the money, but no calls were received.
“As a result, the victim became suspicious and then told her friend about the incident, who informed her that she had been scammed.
“A police report was made by the victim, and an investigation is being carried out under Section 420 of the Penal Code,” he added.
