Student loses RM29,000 after scammers pose as cops, threaten arrest over money laundering
IPOH, Aug 16 — Police arrested three local men, aged between 32 and 45, in five raids across Kuala Lumpur and Selangor on Thursday for allegedly being involved in an online scam syndicate.
Perak Police Chief Datuk Mohd Alwi Zainal Abidin said the suspects were arrested at various locations in Petaling Jaya, Kelana Jaya, Ulu Kelang, Damansara and Kuala Lumpur.
He said the arrests followed a police report lodged by a 22-year-old student who lost RM28,999 after being deceived by individuals posing as law enforcement officers and claiming that he was involved in money laundering.
“The victim, a student at a higher education institution, received a call on July 31 from members of the syndicate posing as representatives of a delivery company, who claimed that a parcel containing illicit items had been addressed to him.
“The call was subsequently transferred to an individual posing as a law enforcement officer, who alleged that the victim was also involved in money laundering and intimidated him with threats of arrest and prosecution,” he said in a statement.
Mohd Alwi said the victim, fearing arrest, followed the syndicate’s instructions by transferring RM8,999 to several bank accounts and leaving gold jewellery worth about RM20,000 outside his house, after being promised that the money and jewellery would be returned once the investigation was concluded.
However, the victim realised he had been scammed when the items were not returned and subsequently lodged a police report on Aug 1.
Mohd Alwi said a team from the Commercial Crime Investigation Division of the Kampar District Police Headquarters subsequently gathered intelligence and tracked down members of the syndicate.
During the raids, police seized eight SIM Box units, 11 Starlink units, 509 SIM cards, a laptop, two routers and five mobile phones.
He said the equipment was believed to have been used as call gateways to manage communication traffic for online scam syndicates suspected of operating from abroad.
“All those arrested were remanded for four days until Monday to assist in the investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code,” he said.
