SEREMBAN: A 51-year-old executive lost not only RM130,000 she withdrew from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) to renovate her house but another RM205,000 after being cheated in a phone scam.

       State Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Supt Aibee Ab Ghani said the woman, who lost a total of RM335,000, first received a call from a man claiming to be from an insurance company in September.

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

       “When she denied this, one Insp Chong claiming to be from the Pudu commercial crime unit contacted her regarding the withdrawals.

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

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

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

       She also banked in RM130,000 which she withdrew from her EPF savings.

       However, Insp Chong told her that she would have to bank in more money because it had to match the amount she had allegedly withdrawn from the insurance company.

       The woman applied for loans from two financial institutions totalling RM82,000 and transferred it 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 When she went to the bank, she was shocked to learn that all the money had been withdrawn,” he said.