An 18-year-old fell victim to an intricate scam, losing RM 309,000 in his savings after being manipulated by a group of scammers posing as police officers. The scammers employed a modus operandi often seen in parcel scams, where the victim is made to believe they are involved in illegal activities.

The teenager was first contacted by the scammers, who claimed that there was a parcel registered under his name. Upon inspection, the parcel was alleged to contain illegal drugs. The caller, posing as a policeman, then threatened the victim with legal consequences unless he made immediate payments to resolve the situation.

  
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Fearing legal trouble, the young victim transferred a total of RM 309,000 to the scammers over several days. This ordeal continued until October 3rd when the victim ran out of savings.

To make matters worse, the scammers continued their deception by insisting that the victim go into hiding, convincing him that the police were actively pursuing him. In a state of panic and confusion, the teenager booked a homestay and secluded himself for two days, until his rescue by the police on October 5th.

  
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Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, the director of the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID), reported that two suspects were arrested in Penang in connection with this case. The victim's mother first reported the incident on October 3rd when the scammers demanded a ransom for her son's release. During this call, the scammers confessed to kidnapping the victim.

According to Shuhaily, the victim initially received a phone call from an individual posing as an employee of Pos Laju Malaysia, alleging that a package registered in the victim's name was in violation of the law. Subsequently, the victim was coerced into speaking with another individual pretending to be a senior police officer. This fake officer accused the victim of involvement in illegal money laundering and drug distribution.

The victim was coerced into making multiple payments through a bank account provided by the scammers and was directed to go into hiding, cutting off all contact with family and friends. During this time, the suspects continued to extort money from the victim's family.

The police's investigation led to the arrest of a 32-year-old middleman in Penang on October 7th and a 24-year-old account holder in Kulim, Kedah, on October 9th, both suspected to be involved in the elaborate scam. They have been remanded until October 14th, 2023.

Shuhaily warned the public to exercise caution and skepticism when receiving phone calls from individuals or entities claiming to be government or private agencies regarding alleged offenses. He emphasized that the police do not handle cases over the phone and urged the public to remain vigilant against such scams.

Source: NST