SEREMBAN — An assistant manager lost RM30,000 after falling victim to a phone scam in Gemencheh, Jempol on Aug 27.

Jempol district police chief Supt Hoo Chang Hook said the 44-year-old woman was contacted by a man claiming to be from the Communications Ministry, who said that her phone number had been blocked as it was linked to criminal activities and instructed her to call 999 to verify.

Believing the call was legitimate, the victim called and was connected to a woman pretending to be a police sergeant from Kelantan, who claimed to have conducted a check with Bukit Aman regarding the matter.

“The victim then received a WhatsApp call informing her that she was involved in a money laundering and drug case with a Chinese man and had sold a CIMB ATM card to the man for RM20,000 and receiving a monthly commission,” he said in a statement here today.

Hoo said the victim later received a message from one ASP Dato’ Azmi, who assured her the case could be resolved and instructed her to download a Bank Negara Malaysia app and provide personal and account details, including her PIN.

She later discovered that RM30,000 had been transferred from her Maybank account to an unknown account.

Realising she had been scammed, the victim lodged a police report for further action, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code. — BERNAMA