Engineer loses RM2.9 million to Macau Scam

BUKIT MERTAJAM: An engineer has lost RM2.9 million after falling prey to a Macau scam.

Penang police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said on Dec 1 last year, the 45-year-old victim received a phone call from a man claiming to be from a courier company, saying that she had a package containing identity cards, ATM cards and passports belonging to several individuals.

"The man claimed that the items were used by the victim in criminal activities.

"The victim denied the allegation but the call was then connected to another man who claimed to be a police officer from the Perak police contingent," he told reporters after a walkabout in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration at Taman Selamat Public Market, here today.

Mohd Shuhaily said the 'police officer' had asked the woman who works in Bayan Lepas, near here, to follow his instructions including transferring money from her bank account to avoid being arrested.

Panicked and scared that she would be detained by the police, Mohd Shuhaily said the victim followed the suspect's instructions by transferring her money, amounting to RM1.9 million, to several accounts provided by the syndicate.

He said the woman also borrowed RM700,000 from her family and took out a bank loan totalling RM329,000 to pay the syndicate, where 129 transactions were made between Dec 1, 2022 and Jan 6, this year.

Mohd Shuhaily said the woman lodged a police report yesterday after realising that she had been duped and the case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

-- BERNAMA