Bandar Permaisuri: A retiree in Bandar Permaisuri, Setiu, lost RM60,000 to a phone scam earlier this month.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Acting Besut district police chief DSP Md Sani Md Saleh stated that the 64-year-old victim received a phone call on February 2 from an individual claiming to represent an insurance company. The caller alleged that the victim had made an insurance claim at a hospital in the Klang Valley and falsely informed her of a warrant of arrest issued against her for allegedly holding 23 bank accounts associated with a money laundering case.

In a state of fear, the victim complied with the scammer’s instructions, which included opening a new bank account and transferring RM60,000 in five separate transactions between February 2 and February 16. Md Sani revealed that the victim became aware of the deception and filed a police report yesterday. The matter is currently under investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.