IPOH: A private sector employee here lost RM473,225 of her Tabung Haji and Amanah Saham savings to a phone scam syndicate posing as an insurance agent, police officer and lawyer.

Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said the 55-year-old woman from Bercham lodged a report yesterday after realising the syndicate had been scamming her since January.

"The victim received a phone call on Jan 25 from someone posing as an insurance agent, asking if she had received RM78,000 in insurance claims.

"About a week later, she received another call from someone claiming to be a police officer from the Ampang Jaya district police headquarters asking her to lodge a report to claim the insurance payout," he said in a statement today.

Mohd Yusri said that, during the same call, the victim was connected to another suspect impersonating a lawyer, who informed her she was involved in a money laundering case.

On Feb 3, two other suspects called the victim and taught her how to withdraw her funds, following which she withdrew RM458,000 from her Amanah Saham and Tabung Haji accounts and transferred it into her bank account.

"The victim also deposited RM35,000 in five transactions into three accounts on the instructions of one of the suspects, purportedly to settle a compound for her 'criminal offence'.

"On Aug 25, the victim received a notice from her bank stating there were 17 transactions amounting to RM438,225 from her account to several unknown accounts between Feb 9 and March 28," he said.

Mohd Yusri said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

-- BERNAMA