Miri civil servant loses RM155,000 life savings to phone impersonation scam

Miri (Aug 28): A civil servant in Miri has lost her life savings worth RM155,000 following a phone impersonation scam, according to police. The victim was first contacted by someone claiming to be from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The suspect told her that her phone number was linked to a fraud case.

The victim tried to report the incident to the police but was directed to file an 'online police report' and keep it confidential, including from family members. The suspect instructed her to transfer money to settle the case and help with the investigation. Ultimately, she made 14 transactions to two different bank accounts, leading to the complete loss of RM155,000.

The police issued a warning that no law enforcement agency would ask for fund transfers to resolve a case and advised against disclosing personal, banking, one-time password (OTP), or transaction authorisation code (TAC) information. They urged those who receive suspicious calls to not panic, avoid transferring money as instructed, and not to keep the matter a secret.

Instead, victims should confide in family members or trusted individuals. If suspicious transactions occur, they are advised to immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 and verify information through official channels.