KUANTAN: A government retiree did not only empty her own savings but also used her husband's money, amounting to RM276,900 in total, after being duped by a phone scam syndicate.
The 64-year-old victim from Kuantan also lost her Tabung Haji and Amanah Saham funds to the fraud group.
Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the victim received a telephone call from a person claiming to be a Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission officer on July 16.
"The caller told the victim that her name has been linked to money-laundering activities and transferred the call to someone claiming to be a policeman.
"The man tricked the woman into transferring RM276,900 into six unknown bank accounts using automated teller machines between July 16 and July 29.
"The victim had used her savings and that of her husband's as well as funds from her Amanah Saham and Tabung Haji accounts," he said.
A police report was filed yesterday, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Yahaya urged the public to verify account and phone numbers through https://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule before conducting any transactions.