Pensioner loses RM682,000 to Macau Scam

Seberang Perai Utara (SPU) police chief ACP Noorzainy Mohd Noor said the 69-year-old had lodged a police report on the incident yesterday after finding her account short by RM682,000 after complying with instructions from an alleged Bank Negara officer (BNM) who purportedly tried to solve her case.

"The victim said she initially received a call in early March from a man claiming to be a police officer with the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police from the Pahang Police Contingent Headquarters who informed her that she was involved in crime as there was an illegal online gambling line under her name.

"The call was then connected to an investigation officer with the rank of sergeant who disclosed the details of the victim in an alleged further investigation and asked her to deal with a BNM officer who would contact her soon for clarification and assistance," he said in a statement, here last night.

He said the woman said that she was later contacted by a man who claimed to be a BNM officer and he told her to transfer all her savings into only one account belonging her on the pretext of facilitating the investigation of her account and case.

Noorzainy said the man also told the woman that the case needed to be resolved immediately and he threatened the victim she would be arrested and remanded for investigation if she did not do so immediately.

Fearing arrest, she followed the suspect's instructions, including giving him a report of her movements every day via calls received by the victim who provided a TAC number sent to her cellphone to the syndicate that lasted until May 27, he said.

"The victim then felt weird because from May 28 until yesterday no call was received from the BNM official as usual before she contacted the bank to ask for the remaining money in her account and was informed that it had been transferred a little at a time daily to another account," he said.

He said the victim tried to contact the man but failed to do so, in fact the number was not contactable, after which she made a police report on the incident today.

He said police were investigating to detect the syndicate including the owner of the account used the suspect to transfer money from the victim's account and the case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for fraud.