KOTA KINABALU: A contractor in the Beaufort district has lost almost RM300,000 to a Macau scam.

       The 60-year-old woman first received a call from an unknown person claiming to be an insurance agent on Nov 12 last year.

       “The caller told her that she had made a claim of RM75,000, which was abnormal,” said Beaufort OCPD Deputy Supt Yusoff Zaki Mat Yaacob.“The call was then transferred to another person claiming to be a policeman, who said her name was linked to a money laundering case.”

       He said the woman was asked to open a new bank account for investigations and to clear her name of the crime.

       DSP Yusoff Zaki added that the woman was told to give them her new bank account number, personal identification number and password.

       “The caller told her not to disclose this matter to anyone so that it would not disrupt their investigation.”

       The woman only realised she had been cheated five months later when she found a total of RM294,118 in her account had gone missing when she tried to withdraw some cash.

       DSP Yusoff said the woman lodged a police report immediately.