‘I was almost a phone scam victim’

Cosmetics millionaire Dr Vida claims she nearly lost RM30,000

I did not suspect anything amiss at first because all the phone numbers seemed to be correct.

Datuk Seri Dr Hasmiza Othman

HARIAN Metro reported that cosmetics millionaire Datuk Seri Dr Hasmiza Othman, famously known as Dr Vida, was nearly swindled of RM30,000 after receiving a phone call claiming that her personal bank account had been frozen over drug trafficking activities.

The 46-year-old said the caller claimed to be a bank officer and requested that she verify her identity card number.

He then told her that her account had been frozen due to personal loan arrears of RM30,000 at the bank’s Karamunsing, Kota Kinabalu branch in Sabah.

Surprised and concerned that her personal account might have been misused, Hasmiza requested for an investigation. The caller said an officer from the state police headquarters would call her for more information.

“I received several phone calls, one after another. I was on the phone for nearly two hours.

“I did not suspect anything amiss at first because all the phone numbers seemed to be correct – from the police headquarters and the bank – and every personal data read out was accurate.

“However, I was shocked when they informed me that someone had misused my account for drug distribution activities,” she said after lodging a report at the Jelapang police station on Monday.

The Viva Beauty Sdn Bhd founder said that during the calls, she was also asked for details of her Lembaga Tabung Haji and Amanah Saham Bumiputera savings accounts.

She said it was then that she requested her lawyer to listen in on the conversation with the man.

Several hours later, the call was cut off when her phone ran out of battery.

Hasmiza said her lawyer said such scams are common. She advised the public to be wary when receiving such calls, even if it came from seemingly genuine numbers.