Accountant loses RM510,00O to Macau scam syndicate
GEORGE TOWN: An accountant lost RM510,000 to a syndicate posing as Bank Negara officers earlier this month.
The 53-year-old, who wanted to be known only as Lim, said he received a short messaging service (SMS) at his office in Jalan Thean Teik here at 9am on Oct 4.
The SMS was to confirm if he had used his CIMB Bank credit card to buy jewellery worth RM4,299, and that he could verify the transaction by calling the phone number listed in the SMS.
As he did not possess such a credit card, Lim called the number.
“A woman told me that the card was registered under my name and issued in Johor Baru on Aug 25, and that there was an arrear of RM7,900.45.”
She told Lim his personal particulars might have been stolen and to call Bank Negara.
When he contacted “Bank Negara”, he was told that his personal particulars had been used by other parties.
He was asked to provide all his banking details so that the central bank could freeze his accounts.
“I was given a report number and was told that an officer would be in touch with me.
“When the officer called me at 2pm on the same day, he instructed me to transfer my money into ‘Bank Nega ra- controlled’ accounts .”
Lim said the “officer” gave him two account numbers.
“I ended up transferring a total of RM510,000 into the accounts,” he said at the state MCA headquarters here yesterday.
Penang MCA public services and complaints bureau chief Gui Guat Lye advised the public to be careful and to ignore such calls.
“Instead of calling, they should go straight to the bank.
“We hope Lim’s case will serve as an eye-opener to others so that they will not fall victim to such scams.”