Woman teacher loses RM150,000 to phone scam

KUCHING: A woman teacher lost RM150,000 after falling victim to a phone scam which involved syndicate personnel impersonating as a Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) officer on Oct 19, said Sarawak police commissioner Datuk Mancha Ata today.

He said based on the report filed by the victim in her 30’s from Saratok district, the victim received a call from MCMC which said her telephone number had been used to put up fake advertisements in Seremban.

“Later the victim’s call was passed to several individuals and ordered to transfer money to bank accounts for investigation by Bank Negara.

“The victim panic and carried out 19 money transfers amounting to RM125,000 in stages to seven bank accounts of the suspect from the middle of October to the middle of November,” he said in a statement here today.

Mancha said on Tuesday, the victim was once again ordered to withdraw RM29,000 and throw the cash in a bush but when she returned to the spot, the money had disappeared and then it struck her that she had been cheated. - Bernama