{
  "id": 9078967,
  "title": "Kelantan investment manager loses RM1.2m in savings and jewellery after scammers spoof police phone number",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/kelantan-investment-manager-loses-rm1-2m-in-savings-and-jewellery-9078967",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-22T03:41:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/09/22/kelantan-investment-manager-loses-rm12m-in-savings-and-jewellery-after-scammers-spoof-police-phone-number/236070"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KOTA BHARU, September 22 — A single mother in her 50s lost approximately RM1.2 million to scammers who spoofed police phone numbers in Kota Bharu last July, according to Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat. The woman received a call pretending to be an authority figure, informing her of a money laundering investigation. In fear, she followed the caller's instructions, withdrawing money from her bank accounts and selling off nearly RM500,000 worth of jewellery. It took the woman two months to report the incident to the police after all her money had been taken by the scammers. Mohd Yusoff stated that the criminals utilized application spoofing technology, making the phone number appear as though it was from the Kelantan IPK. Police detected around 68 calls per day using the Kelantan IPK number, and the matter is currently under investigation. Mohd Yusoff emphasized that neither the police nor agencies like Bank Negara Malaysia would instruct members of the public to withdraw money or open new accounts. If someone receives such a call, they should hang up and contact the relevant agency through official channels to verify the situation. The police have also sought assistance from Bukit Aman in tracking down those involved in the scam. This incident marks one of the largest individual losses recorded in Kelantan, with the police planning to intensify public awareness campaigns through media outlets to combat the rising trend of commercial crime.",
  "summary": "KOTA BHARU, Sept 22 — A company investment manager lost about RM1.2 million after she was duped by a scam syndicat...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "Kelantan investment manager loses RM1.2m in savings and jewellery after scammers spoof police phone number",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/kelantan-investment-manager-loses-rm1-2m-in-savings-and-jewellery",
        "published": "2026-09-22T03:41:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}