Kuala terengganu: A teacher lost RM446,200 after falling prey to a phone scam.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kuala Terengganu district police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor stated that on June 28, the 52-year-old victim received a phone call from a suspect claiming to be a representative of an insurance company.

The suspect informed the victim of his alleged involvement in a fake medical claim worth RM12,000 before connecting him to an accomplice posing as a police officer for further action. The suspect further alleged that the victim was implicated in a money laundering case with someone named Mike Paul.

The victim was instructed to contact two other individuals pretending to be police and judicial officers. To solidify the scam, the suspect produced a forged document bearing the Sabah Judicial Department logo along with an arrest warrant in the victim's name.

Azli explained that the victim, driven by fear, resorted to taking personal loans, using credit cards, and borrowing money from relatives to cover the supposed legal fees and bail. The victim was cautioned by the suspect not to disclose the situation to his family, claiming it was protected under the Official Secrets Act 1972.

Between July 26 and October 19, the victim made 23 transactions amounting to RM446,200 to 16 different accounts. It was only after realizing the documents were fake and being unable to contact the suspect that the victim understood he had been scammed.