BALIK PULAU: Police detained five men and two women, believed to serve as ‘account mules’ for various syndicates involved in scamming the people and incurring loses amounting to RM325,332 in the Barat Daya district, here today.
Barat Daya police chief Supt Kamarul Rizal Jenal (pix) said the seven suspects, including a senior citizen, were detained by the Barat Daya District plice’s Commercial Crime Investigation Division throughout the state yesterday.
“In the case involving a victim who suffered the highest loss of RM190,000, police detained a woman, aged 20, who is believed to be the account mule for the syndicate that is involved in phone scams.
“The ‘Phone Scam’ syndicate targets victims living in Balik Pulau here by pretending to be police officers and courier companies which prompted the victim to carry out six transactions in the bank for a total of RM190,000,“ he said when contacted by Bernama today.
In another case, the 61-year-old senior citizen acted as an account mule in an non-existent Bitcoin investment scam that resulted in a victim losing RM50,000.
Kamarul Rizal said in a case reported in Bayan Lepas, involved a victim who made six online transactions to a bank account and police are investigating the identity of the syndicate.
He said a 26-year-old account mule who acted on behalf of a syndicate that was dealing with a non existent online loan scheme that resulted in the victim losing RM44,120.
All the seven suspects would be remanded to assit investigations under Section 420 of the Penal Code. -Bernama
