Businessmen lose RM300,000 to Macau Scam

KULAI: Two businessmen who received calls about purported credit card bills running up to thousands of ringgit ended up being RM300,000 poorer.

The men, aged 53 and 62, were told that their bank accounts would be frozen if they did not cooperate with the “authorities”.

Their nightmare lasted for about a week with calls from persons claiming to be from the bank, police and Bank Negara.

Worried over the threats, the businessmen transferred money into a syndicate’s accounts.

The incessant telephone calls came to a halt about a week ago but it was too late as the two found out they had been conned in a Macau Scam.

Both lodged separate police reports. Sources said the older businessman received a call claiming that he had a credit card with several thousand ringgit in outstanding payments.

“The victim panicked as he did not own a credit card,” a source said, adding the victim was then contacted by a man who introduced himself as “Tuan Wong” who said he was being investigated for money laundering.

Sources said the businessman was then coaxed into transferring RM177,000 to three different accounts to prevent his account from being frozen by Bank Negara.

The younger victim was also targeted in a similar manner.

“These days, syndicates are targeting older people and telling them not to tell their families or get police involved as it would be embarrassing to them,” said a source.

Meanwhile, police are investigating a man for tampering with a bank ATM in Nusa Bestari, Skudai.

Iskandar Puteri OCPD Asst Comm Nor Hashim Mohamad said a bank employee lodged a report after a metallic device was inserted into the card slot of the machine.