Fake cops scare retired Bachok teacher into handing over ATM cards and wife’s gold necklace

A 75-year-old retired teacher in Bachok was duped out of nearly RM15,000 by a group pretending to be police officers, leading to the loss of two ATM cards and his wife's gold necklace adorned with a pendant. Kelantan Police Chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat explained that the scammers called the victim on September 12, claiming he had a court summons for RM25,000, accusing him of involvement in money laundering and drugs.

This prompted the scammers to instruct the victim to hand over the ATM cards and necklace to an undercover officer who would later arrive at his home. At around 5:00 pm on the same day, a woman arrived in a car at the victim's residence, took the items, and departed. The gold necklace was sold at a local gold shop that same day, with some of the earnings deposited into a third party's account.

Initially, the victim contacted his bank to block the ATM cards, preventing any unauthorized transactions. Police seized the victim's ATM cards, a car, a bank deposit receipt, and the jewelry receipt. The necklace was recovered from the gold shop. The case falls under Penal Code Section 420. Mohd Yusoff urged the public not to be intimidated by threats of summonses and arrests, emphasizing that the police, courts, Bank Negara Malaysia, and banks will never ask individuals to hand over ATM cards, PIN numbers, or jewelry.