Elderly man conned out of RM158,000 in phone scam involving fake police officer

A 73-YEAR-OLD man lost RM158,000 after falling victim to a phone scam involving individuals posing as representatives from an insurance company and a police officer.

Ipoh police chief ACP Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad said the victim received a call from someone claiming to be from an insurance firm, informing him of alleged arrears.

The call was then transferred to a man who introduced himself as a police officer from the Petaling Jaya District Police Headquarters.

“The victim was told that he was involved in money laundering activities involving more than RM2 million, and that an arrest warrant had been issued against him,” Abang Zainal Abidin said in a statement on Monday.

“In a state of panic, the victim was threatened and instructed to make several transactions into various bank accounts, supposedly to assist in the investigation.”

The victim ended up making 12 separate transfers into 12 different accounts provided by the syndicate.

He eventually realised he had been scammed and lodged a police report on Sunday. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. - July 21, 2025