Kemaman: A male factory supervisor lost RM537,000 after falling victim to a phone scam syndicate, Kemaman police chief Supt Mohd Razi Rosli said today.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the 59-year-old victim received a call on Aug 31 last year from syndicate members impersonating an insurance agent and a police officer. The suspects alleged he had made a false insurance claim at a private hospital in Selangor and was facing legal action.

The victim was instructed to open a new savings account at a local bank and transfer RM400,000 from his Employees Provident Fund (EPF) savings into the account. He was also told to grant the suspects access to avoid arrest, Mohd Razi reported.

Between Feb 9 and Sept 12, the victim transferred an additional RM137,000 in 56 transactions to 30 different accounts under threat from the suspects. He realized he had been scammed when attempts to contact the suspects for updates failed.

Upon checking, the victim found all the EPF funds in the new account had vanished. Further investigation showed 21 transfers to eight accounts between Sept 5 and 11, 2024, Mohd Razi added.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. Mohd Razi urged the public to contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 to verify any information before making money transfers to third-party accounts.