A factory supervisor in Kemaman became the latest victim of a sophisticated phone scam, losing a staggering RM537,000. The syndicate, posing as insurance agents and police officers, manipulated the 59 year old man into believing he was facing legal consequences for an alleged false insurance claim. The ordeal began on August 31 last year when he received a call warning of impending legal action connected to a private hospital in Selangor. Fearful of arrest, he complied with the instructions given by the scammers.
The victim was directed to open a new bank account and transfer his entire Employees Provident Fund (EPF) savings of RM400,000 into it. He was then told to provide the syndicate with access to the account to supposedly avoid detention. This tactic of creating urgency and instilling fear is a common strategy used by scam operations to break down victims’ defenses. In this case, the victim’s trust was abused to the point of granting strangers full control over his financial resources.
According to police, the victim only realized he had been deceived after his attempts to contact the supposed officers failed. A subsequent check revealed that all the EPF money had been siphoned out of the new account. Between September 5 and September 11, 2024, a total of 21 transactions had been made, dispersing the funds into eight different accounts. This demonstrated the well coordinated and calculated nature of the scam.
The ordeal did not end there, the victim was coerced into making an additional 56 transfers amounting to RM137,000 to 30 different accounts. These payments were made under continuous threats from the syndicate, showing the relentless pressure tactics used to exploit his fear. By the time he realized the full extent of the scam, his financial losses had reached a devastating total of over half a million ringgit.
Looks like victim was specifically targeted as he has reach age which can withdraw full EPF sum. It's a pity all his hard earn retirement money was all gone in this ordeal.