JOHOR BARU: A managing director of a private company lost RM520,000 after he was cheated by a police officer named 'Inspector Lee Kha Seng'.
Johor police Chief Commissioner M. Kumar said they received a police report from the victim, a 46-year-old local man, yesterday, regarding the phone scam incident.
"The victim received a phone call from an individual who introduced himself as a police officer from a northern contingent early last month.
"The individual informed that the victim's ATM card was found during a police raid and claimed that the victim was involved in money laundering activities.
"The call was then connected to another individual who claimed to be a police officer named 'Inspector Lee Kha Seng,' who offered assistance to prevent the victim's account from being frozen and his money seized.
"The method was to transfer the victim's money into a bank account as instructed, while the police conducted their investigation," he said in a media statement today.
Kumar said the victim believed the call was from the police because the 'inspector' correctly stated his name and identification card number.
He added that the victim also received a letter via WhatsApp with a court letterhead stating that investigation and arrest would be taken against him, along with a freeze of assets.
"The victim then transferred RM520,000 as instructed before realising he was being scammed after being pressured to make further transfers.
"The victim then immediately filed a police report yesterday," he said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.'
He said the public is advised to always be vigilant and take precautionary measures, especially in financial transactions.
"Use the online service 'Semak Mule' and download the 'Whoscall' application to check the status of bank accounts and phone numbers of suspects before proceeding with any payment transactions, thereby reducing the risk of becoming a scam victim.
"Information on commercial crime modus operandi can be obtained through various official social media platforms of the Johor Police, such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
"If you have fallen victim to a scam, promptly contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 to take immediate steps to block the suspect's account and prevent money from being transferred out," he said.