Student, Retired Engineer Lose RM690,000 to Scams in Pahang

KUANTAN – A university student and a retired engineer have lost more than RM690,000 between them in two separate scams in Pahang, police have said.

In the first case, an 18-year-old male student lost RM32,115 after a syndicate member posing as a police officer accused him of involvement in money laundering.

Acting Bentong police chief DSP Azmi Mahmod said the victim handed over cash and jewellery worth more than RM32,000 to a woman near a supermarket in Karak, Bentong.

Azmi said the incident began on Oct 7, when the victim received a phone call from someone claiming to be a police officer. The caller alleged that the student was linked to money laundering.

“The suspect threatened to arrest the victim if he did not follow instructions, causing him to panic and hand over cash and jewelery belonging to his parents to settle the case,” he said in a statement today.

The victim passed the items to a masked woman and was told not to inform his family or anyone else. Police later carried out an operation and arrested a 21-year-old local woman at about 6.20 pm last Saturday near the same supermarket.

Azmi said investigations showed the suspect had been offered work by the syndicate, which claimed she had been appointed to a “Police Special Actions Unit”. She was directed to collect the cash and jewellery from the victim and hand them to a third party arranged by the syndicate.

“Investigations are ongoing to determine the suspect’s role and to identify other individuals involved,” he said.

In a separate statement, Bera police chief Supt Zulkiflee Nazir said the department had received a report from a 56-year-old retired engineer who lost RM660,000 in a fraudulent stock investment scheme.

The scam began on Feb 5, when the man communicated via WhatsApp with an unknown individual offering an investment scheme starting at RM10,000 with a promised 10 per cent return.

“Believing the offer, the victim invested RM660,000 in seven transactions into three bank accounts under different company names,” Zulkiflee said. “The victim received no returns as promised and realised he had been scammed when he was repeatedly asked to deposit more money.”

Police are investigating both cases under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

Impersonation scams, in which fraudsters pose as police officers or other officials, typically rely on fear and urgency to pressure victims into acting without consulting anyone.

Members of the public are generally advised that genuine law enforcement agencies do not demand cash or valuables over the telephone.

Investment scams, meanwhile, often use unrealistic promises of returns and request payments into accounts held under company names. Anyone approached with such an offer is usually encouraged to verify the scheme with the relevant authorities and to report suspicious activity to the police promptly. — Sarawak Daily