Two Sarawakian women lose RM314,000 to Macau scam

SIBU - Two women in Sarawak lost RM314,000 after falling victim to a Macau scam, said Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Supt Maria Rasid today.

She said the first victim, a cashier with a private company in Mukah in her report to the police on April 9 said she lost RM174,000 after being cheated by individuals who claimed that they were from Pos Laju and the police.

The victim, in her late twenties, said she received a telephone call from an unidentified woman who said that she was calling from Pos Laju Kuala Lumpur on April 7.

The suspect claimed that the victim had unclaimed items such as an identity card and credit cards before connecting the line to another person who identified himself as ‘Inspector Kho'.

"The inspector said the victim's identity card had been used by someone to open a bank account involved in money laundering and the suspect had asked the victim to pay a certain amount of money to avoid the victim's name from being blacklisted,” said Supt Maria in a statement here.

The suspect continued to intimidate the victim by saying the victim was linked to a criminal case involving a nominee named "Long Kek Wee" and the victim would be paid a lucrative commission if she settled the payment.

The victim panicked and confused and made 31 money transfers totalling more than RM174,000 to four bank accounts belonging to an unknown individual between April 7 and April 9.

"The victim only realised she was tricked when the suspect continued to contact her and demanded more payment,” said Maria.

Another case was reported on April 8 involving a civil servant woman in her early forties in Miri.

The scam started on Jan 14 when the victim received a phone call from a woman named "Mastura” from a Takaful insurance company.

The suspect claimed that the victim had made a takaful insurance claim and had been approved by the Takaful insurance company's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

The victim however denied it before being instructed to hand over her bank account number to the suspect.

The call was then transferred to another suspect who disguised himself as "Sergeant Billy" from the Pudu police station who said had checked and found that the victim's name was involved in a money laundering case where RM2 million had been deposited into the victim's bank account.

The call was then connected to another person claiming to be "Tuan Chong”, a public prosecutor to allow the victim to settle the case by making a payment of RM140,000.

"The victim was then instructed by the suspect to open a new bank account and provide the account number, ATM card number as well as register for online banking (new bank account) using a telephone number provided by the suspect.

"The victim panicked and deposited money received from a bank loan after mortgaging her jewelry and her total savings amounting to RM140,000 to the new bank account as a guarantee to settle the case between Feb 18 and Feb 28,” said Maria.

The victim realised she had been duped when she discovered her money had disappeared from her bank account and her calls to the phone number provided by the suspect were unanswered. - BERNAMA