'Director' dupes admin into transferring RM110,000
JOHOR BARU: A company administrator was duped into transferring RM110,000 after a caller posing as her director instructed her to make several payments.
In Johor Baru, a company administrator was duped out of RM110,000 after a caller pretending to be her director instructed her to make multiple payments. Police are probing whether the suspect may have used deepfake technology to mimic the director's voice. The 43-year-old woman, employed by a construction firm, received a call from a man who claimed to be Lei Chong, the company's director.
He directed her to an office in Larkin and then asked her to transfer money into two bank accounts, totaling RM110,000. Another RM150,000 was demanded to be sent to a different account. Upon realizing the fraud, the woman contacted the real director through WeChat, confirming he had not requested any payments. Authorities are now looking into the bank account holders, verifying the transactions with the banks, and tracking down the suspects.
The case is being treated as cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which can result in up to 10 years in prison, caning, and a fine if convicted. The police have advised the public, particularly those managing company finances, to always confirm payment instructions directly with the person who supposedly sent the request, even if the caller seems to be a known employer, director, or government official.
If anyone suspects they have been scammed, they should immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre at 997.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
