Seberang perai: A government retiree here recently lost RM537,058 after falling victim to a phone scam syndicate. Seberang Perai Tengah district police chief ACP Helmi Aris said the 73-year-old woman lodged a police report on Dec 7, claiming she had been targeted since Aug 29.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the victim received a phone call from a man introducing himself as a police officer from the Anti-Money Laundering Division. He told her that a bank account registered under her name in Kangar, Perlis, was allegedly involved in money laundering. The woman was then connected to another man claiming to be a police officer from the Kangar Police Station.

Helmi stated that the victim was later asked to hand over all her bank ATM cards along with their PINs, supposedly for investigation, by leaving them at a bus stop near her home. He added that the victim transferred RM537,058 into her bank accounts between Sept 3 and Dec 6, and checks showed that withdrawals were made in stages from Nov 27 to Dec 5 at several banks in the Klang Valley using the surrendered ATM cards.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.