TEACHER LOSES RM446,200 TO PHONE SCAM

KUALA TERENGGANU, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- A teacher lost RM446,200 after falling prey to a phone scam.

Kuala Terengganu district police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor said that on June 28, the 52-year-old victim received a phone call from a suspect claiming to be a representative of an insurance company.

He said the suspect told the victim he was involved in a fake medical claim worth RM12,000 before connecting him to an accomplice posing as a police officer for further action.

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“The suspect also claimed that the victim was involved in a money laundering case with an individual named Mike Paul.

“The victim was then instructed to contact two other individuals posing as police and judicial officers. The suspect even produced a forged document bearing the Sabah Judicial Department logo and an arrest warrant in the victim’s name,” he said in a statement today.

Azli said the victim, out of fear, had taken personal loans, used credit cards and borrowed money from relatives to pay the alleged legal fees and bail.

He said the victim was also warned by the suspect not to disclose the matter to his family on the pretext that he was bound by the Official Secrets Act 1972.

“The victim made 23 transactions amounting to RM446,200 to 16 different accounts between July 26 and Oct 19.

“He only realised he had been cheated after discovering that the documents presented to him were fake and that attempts to contact the suspect failed,” he said.

-- BERNAMA