BUKIT MERTAJAM: An engineer lost RM2.9 million after she fell victim to a Macau scam recently.
State police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the victim, 45, was contacted by an individual who claimed to be from a courier company, saying she had received a parcel containing prohibited items on Dec 1, last year.
He said the caller then told the victim there were MyKad and ATM cards belonging to others inside the parcel.
The caller had told the victim that he would lodge a police report but she denied any involvement.
Mohd Shuhaily said the victim, who works in Bayan Lepas, then received a call from another individual several hours later, who claimed to be a "police officer from the Perak police contingent", explaining to her the issue faced with the courier company.
He added that the "officer" had asked the victim to follow his instructions, including transferring the money from her account to another account, or faced arrest for her alleged involvement in crime activities.
"Immediately after the call, the victim started transferring her money into 26 different accounts through online banking and cash deposit.
"Panicked, the victim did as instructed. She transferred her own savings of RM1.9 million. She also borrowed RM700,000 from her family and friends and took up two bank loans amounting to more than RM300,000, which she also transferred to the accounts given.
"All in all, she conducted 129 transactions between Dec 1 and Jan 6, this year," he said today after a walkabout at the Taman Selamat market here ahead of the Chinese New Year festivity.
Mohd Shuhaily said the victim only realised she had been a victim of a scam after discussing with her friends about her predicament.
She finally lodged a police report yesterday.