SEREMBAN: A 51-year-old executive lost RM335,000 after being cheated by individuals claiming to be from an insurance company and the police in a Macau scam.

       State Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Supt Aibee Ab Ghani said the victim, who lives in Putrajaya, first received a call from a man claiming to be from an insurance company back in September last year.

       "She was in her office in Nilai when a man from the so-called company queried about four withdrawals she apparently made.

       "When she denied this, one Insp Chong claiming to be from the Pudu Commercial Crime unit contacted the victim regarding the withdrawals.

       "He then told her that an arrest warrant has been issued under her name for being involved in money laundering activities with one Lim Lam Seng," he said, adding that the victim had also denied this.

       Insp Chong then told the victim, who is married, to open an account at a local bank and to move all her savings into it while the police probe the case.

       He also asked her to provide him details of the new bank account including the password.

       Supt Aibee said the victim then transferred RM43,000 of her personal savings and another RM80,000 from her Tabung Haji savings into the new account.

       She also banked in another RM130,000 which she withdrew from her Employees Provident Fund savings.

       However, Insp Chong told her that she would have to bank in more cash as it had to be similar to the amount she had allegedly withdrawn from the insurance company.

       The victim then applied for loans from two financial institutions totalling RM82,000 and transferred the money into the new account.

       Supt Aibee said the victim only realised that she had been scammed when she received a call from a police officer from the Kuala Lumpur contingent.

       "The police officer told her there had been some transactions involving the new bank account she had opened and that she ought to check it.

       "When she went to the bank, she was shocked to see that all the cash had been withdrawn," he said, adding that she then lodged a report.

       The case was being probed under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating which carries a jail term of between one and 10 years, whipping and a fine upon conviction.

       The term “Macau Scam” was coined because it is believed that it originated from Macau or that the first victims came from there. This has never been confirmed.

       The scam often starts with a phone call from someone pretending to be an officer from a bank, government agency or debt collector.

       The scammer will then claim that the potential victim owes money or has an unpaid fine, often with a very short window of less than an hour, to settle the payment or face “dire consequences”.

       These unsuspecting victims will then be asked to make payments to get them off the hook.cou