Kelantan state assemblyman loses RM84,529 to Macau Scam

KOTA BHARU: A state assemblyman in Kelantan has been cheated of RM84,529 by a Macau Scam syndicate, police said today.

Kelantan Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief ACP Mohd Wazir Mohd Yusof said the 57-year-old assemblyman only realised that he was conned after finding out yesterday that this amount had been withdrawn from his bank accounts.

He said the victim had earlier received a telephone call from a man claiming to be an officer from the Melaka Inland Revenue Board who told him he had a case of RM52,900.78 in tax arrears.

"The suspect claimed the tax was payable because of a RM200,000 deposit into a company account allegedly belonging to the victim although the assemblyman denied this.

"The call was then transferred to two suspects masquerading as officers from the Melaka police contingent headquarters, including one with the title of Datuk.

"During the conversation with Datuk Puan Jasmine, he was asked to verify his accounts through a so-called Bank Negara link given via WhatsApp," he said in a statement today.

Mohd Wazir said the complainant realised he had been cheated when he went to two banks to check his accounts and make new cards.

"Yesterday, he went to Bank Islam in Kota Bharu to check his account balance and make a new card. He was told by a bank officer that RM71,480 had been withdrawn from the account.

"The complainant also went to Bank Muamalat in Kota Bahru to make a new card and was told that his bank account balance has dropped by RM13,049 through two withdrawals made on Saturday (April 9)," he added.

Mohd Wazir said the assemblyman lodged a report at the district police headquarters here this afternoon.

-- BERNAMA