SIBU: A civil servant in her 40s found herself ensnared in a financial nightmare last month, which left her RM600,000 poorer.
She fell victim to a phone scam after receiving an unexpected call from an individual claiming to be from Pos Laju Perak in early August.
The suspect falsely alleged that the victim had delivered a package containing several identity cards, a claim that she denied.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri said the situation escalated when the call was transferred to a person named ‘Zakim’ from Perak police station, who berated the victim for her perceived lack of cooperation.
“The victim was then connected to another individual, identified as ‘ASP Mohtar’, who falsely asserted that the victim was involved in money laundering.
“Overwhelmed with fear and panic, the victim reluctantly complied with the suspect’s directives, all the while being explicitly instructed not to share any information about the case with others,” he said.
She was later coerced into transferring RM20,000 into two bank accounts under the guise of purported auditing procedures at Bank Negara.
As the month progressed, the victim was compelled to take out loans from multiple financial institutions.
Mohd Azman stated that the victim was subsequently directed to transfer the loaned money, fixed deposits, and her SSPN savings, totalling RM580,000, to five different bank accounts.
It was only when her attempts to contact the suspects proved fruitless that the victim realised that she had been cheated.
The victim reported the incident to the police yesterday (Sept 12) and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.
If convicted, the offence carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, whipping, and a fine.
