Ranau civil servant loses RM13,000 in phone scam
RANAU (June 11): A civil servant in her 30s lost RM13,000 after falling victim to a phone scam involving individuals posing as a police officer and a representative from the Ministry of Communications and Digital.
Ranau district police chief Superintendent Mursalin Mahmud said the victim received a phone call from an unknown number on May 27. The caller claimed to be from the ministry and alleged that the victim's phone number was being used to spread fake messages related to investments, job offers and gambling.
The call was then redirected to another individual who claimed to be a police officer from the Perak Police Contingent Headquarters (IPK). On May 29, the victim was instructed to transfer RM13,000 into an account under the name Muhammad Azlan, allegedly for the purpose of 'account protection.'
'The scammers also demanded that the victim send photos and personal information every three hours as a form of self-reporting,' Mursalin said.
After realising she had been scammed, the victim lodged a police report at the Ranau police station on June 10.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for fraud.
'I urge the public not to panic if they receive suspicious calls from individuals claiming to be police officers or representatives of government agencies,' Mursalin advised. 'Do not disclose personal information such as bank account details or identification documents, and never carry out financial transactions based solely on phone instructions.'
He also reminded the public to verify any such calls with the nearest police station or district police headquarters and remain alert to the tactics used by fraud syndicates to avoid becoming victims.
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