KOTA BHARU – A government servant lost about RM25,000 when she was cheated by Macau scam syndicate members who posed as enforcement officers from the health ministry’s pharmacy unit and a policeman.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Shafien Mamat said the incident happened on Jan 23, while police received a report three days later (Jan 26).
In the report, he said the victim, in her 40s, claimed she received a call on Jan 23 from a man who claimed to be an enforcement officer from the health ministry.
“The suspect claimed that he was an officer from the National Pharmacy Enforcement Unit in Petaling Jaya, Selangor and asked the victim on the side effects after getting the Covid-19 booster dose.
“The caller told the victim that based on the unit’s record, the victim had taken eight types of medicine from a clinic in Ipoh, Perak since November last year.
“The victim denied that she had obtained the medicine then, the suspect told her that her identification might have been stolen by someone and suggested her to lodge a police report.
“The conversation was later passed to another man who claimed to be a police officer from the Perak police headquarters,” said Shafien.
He said the victim’s nightmare began when the ‘police officer’ told her that she and an another man were wanted for money laundering involving RM2.1 million.
“The victim was asked to pay RM25,000 for ‘her release on police bail’. She then agreed to the payment and made two separate transactions for the amount to several bank accounts owned by different individuals.
“After she revealed the matter to her siblings, she realised she was cheated by the suspect.
“She later lodged a police report and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code,” Shafien said.
Source: NEW STRAITS TIMES
