Miri: A 61-year-old senior citizen in Miri lost RM588,000 in savings after being deceived by an online scam syndicate posing as authorities.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Miri Police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah stated that the victim, a trader, received a phone call from an individual impersonating an officer from the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC), alleging her involvement in a fraud syndicate.

The victim was then connected to another suspect who pretended to be a police officer from the Kuantan district police headquarters. The suspect informed the victim that she needed to declare her assets by transferring all her savings into a specific bank account for auditing purposes.

Mohd Farhan explained that the victim, deceived by the ploy, made several cash transfers over the counter totaling RM588,000. She only realized that she had been scammed after the suspect repeatedly demanded further payments.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code, he added.