KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — A young man suffered RM283,000 in losses after being tricked by an online fraud syndicate posing as the police on September 30.
The syndicate had coerced the 18-year-old to hide in a ploy they conceived, so the syndicate could demand a RM300,000 ransom from his family.
Director of the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (JSJ) Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said police managed to find the victim cowering in fear at a homestay rented by the youth himself in Shah Alam on October 5, following a police report made by his mother on October 3.
The victim received a call from a syndicate member on September 30 who posed as a policeman, saying a package containing drugs was addressed to him.
“After the syndicate ordered (forced) him to make a payment to avoid police action, the teenager then deposited money amounting to RM283,000 in four separate transactions into two different accounts four days in a row starting on September 30,” he said at a special press conference in Bukit Aman today.
After the man could no longer pay up, he was told to go into hiding on October 3 and to provide his mother’s phone number to the syndicate.
The syndicate then contacted the woman claiming her son had been kidnapped, and demanded a RM300,000 ransom.
“Police managed to arrest two men, aged 32 and 24, in Penang and Kulim, Kedah, on October 7 and October 9, who acted as a mule account holder and a middleman of the syndicate.
“The man acting as an intermediary claimed he receives a RM6,000 monthly payment from the syndicate in question to withdraw the money deposited by the fraud victim to be deposited into another account.
“Both of them were remanded until October 14, and the case is investigated according to Section 365 of the Penal Code for kidnapping,” Shuhaily said.
He reminded the public that the police would never discuss a case over the phone, and hence, they should be wary when receiving a call from anyone claiming to be a police officer.
— Bernama
