Batu Pahat Woman Loses Over RM300,000 In Police Impersonation Scam

BATU PAHAT, Sept 27 (Bernama) -- A 59-year-old woman lost RM301,000 to a phone scam after being duped by a caller impersonating a police officer who falsely accused her of involvement in a money laundering case.

Batu Pahat police chief ACP Shahrulanuar Mushaddat Abdullah Sani said the victim received a call from a man on May 14, who introduced himself as a police officer.

He said the caller told the victim she was on a wanted list in connection with a money laundering case and instructed her to hand over her bank account details.

“The victim was also told to transfer money into bank accounts provided for a so-called Bank Negara investigation. Between May 20 and Sept 25, she deposited RM301,000 into 17 different accounts in stages.

“She was then asked to make additional payments but did not do so after realising she had been scammed,” he said in a statement today.

He said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code and reminded the public to exercise caution when receiving calls from unknown numbers and to verify any suspicious claims before taking action.

-- BERNAMA