MUAR: Years of savings amounting to RM89,000 vanish as a retired man falls victim to fake insurance claim scam.
The incident began on Dec 3 last year, when the 60-year-old received a call from an individual claiming to represent an insurance company, stating that he had an insurance claim.
The caller alleged that the man had made false insurance reimbursements. Denying the allegations, the man was instructed to lodge a police report, at which point the call was transferred to a man who introduced himself as an investigating police officer.
The fake officer warned the man of serious charges, including money laundering, and the possibility of being jailed. Feigning sympathy, the officer suggested that a court officer could assist. The call was then transferred to a woman impersonating a court officer, who promised to resolve the case.
District police chief, Assistant Commissioner Raiz Muhklis Aziz Azman, said that the victim was instructed by the bogus court officer to go to his bank's ATM and change his banking details to those provided.
On Dec 4, the man followed her instructions and changed his bank details, believing that RM38,000 would be transferred out by the court officer as bail and then duly returned to him.
However, on Dec 11, the court officer demanded further payments, which raised his suspicions.
The man went to the bank and checked his account balance, only to realise that his entire savings had been wiped out, with only RM98.67 remaining.
He lodged a police report yesterday.