KUCHING: A retiree who used to work in the private sector lodged a police report yesterday claiming that he lost RM1.2 million to a phone scam in April.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri said the 66-year-old from Miri claimed to have received a phone call on April 18 from a suspect who said the victim was connected to a money laundering case.
He said the suspect asked the victim to open two bank accounts to facilitate investigations.
"The victim opened a new bank account at two local financial institutions on April 19 and 20 before giving the banking information and password to the suspect.
"The suspect then instructed the victim to transfer money totalling RM1.2 million in four transactions from his AmBank and Employees Provident Fund accounts to the two new bank accounts," he said here today.
Azman said the victim realised he had been cheated after checking the balance in the two new bank accounts and found that the money had been transferred to an unknown account in stages between April 19 and May 3.