Estate worker loses RM1,400 in phone scam

KUANTAN: An estate worker was duped into paying 'police bail' amounting to RM1,400 for a non-existent criminal case, in a telephone scam last Thursday.
The 44-year-old victim was earlier approached via telephone by a so-called Kuala Lumpur-based bank staff identified as 'Ahmad', informing him of a RM30,000 loan he had reportedly applied for, at a bank branch in Terengganu.
Pahang Commercial CID chief, Supt Wazir Mohd Yusof said the 'bank staff' then told the worker that he was putting him on to a police sergeant of a Terengganu police station who in turn, accused the victim of being involved in a "serious criminal case".
"The 'police sergeant' then told the victim to speak to his officer who requested him to transfer RM1,400 into an account as police bail," he said when contacted here today.
Subsequently, Wazir said the victim banked in the money at a bank branch in Mentakab.
When the 'bank officer' could not be contacted, the worker smelled a rat and lodged a police report. — Bernama