KUANTAN, Sept 2 — A retiree from a multinational oil and gas company lost RM1.417 million after falling victim to a telephone scam between May and yesterday.
Pahang acting police chief Datuk Azry Akmar Ayob said the 66-year-old man received a call from an unknown individual on May 19 claiming that he was implicated in money laundering activities.
He said the victim was then instructed to open an Agrobank account and transfer his savings into it, purportedly so the authorities could check the funds.
“After opening the account, a man came to meet the victim near his residence, and the victim handed over his bank card and PIN to him,” he said in a statement.
Azry Akmar said the victim subsequently transferred money from his Employees Provident Fund (EPF), Amanah Saham Berhad and Tabung Haji accounts, as well as proceeds from pawning gold, into the Agrobank account.
By yesterday, he had transferred a total of RM1,417,210 into the account.
The victim later discovered that the money had been transferred to six different accounts and withdrawn through automated teller machines (ATMs) without his knowledge.
Azry Akmar advised the public to seek advice from the nearest police station before taking any action after receiving suspicious calls to avoid falling victim to fraud.
“The public is also advised to check account numbers through the Semak Mule website before making any transactions and to contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 if they fall victim to fraud,” he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
