Malaysians from the northern state of Kedah have been duped out of over RM100,000 (US$24,500) via telephone scams, according to the Kedah Consumer Association (CAKE – wait, kek?) since February this year. Authorities believe the figure to be far higher; however, many cases go unreported due to reluctance to come forward from the victims.
CAKE secretary (head of frosting, no doubt) Mohd Yusrizal told Harian Metro over the weekend that over 70 cases were reported, with one individual – a university lecturer –losing RM60,000 (US$15,125).
Cases can range from losing a comparably meager RM100 (US$25) to figures similar to the case of the scammed lecturer, and victims come from sundry backgrounds. Housewives, professionals, and students have all fallen victim.
The most common scams according to CAKE are via callers claiming to be from the country’s banking regulator, Bank Negara Malaysia, followed by the police or Customs Department.
Scammers that purport to be from Bank Negara will often tell their victims that their assets have been frozen die to loan defaults, and in order to re-active, they must deposit a certain amount into a separate account that is given by the “officer” on the line.
Police impersonators will tell their victims that they are wanted in connections with criminal cases, and that victims must wire them money in order to “settle” the issue.
Customs fraudsters will often claim to be in possession of a shipment from overseas intended for the victim. They will tell them that there are illicit items in the shipment, and that the victim must pay a fine to secure it (wait, are these guys trying to pretend it’s easy to get drugs in the pos?).
While each of these may sound like a tall tale to the reader, victims are often misled as the person on the other end of the line will often have an inordinate amount of information about them: residential address, IC number, birthday. This will often frighten them into thinking they are dealing with an official, and fear being blacklisted if they don’t comply.
CAKE officials warn consumers that this info can be gleaned from various sources, such as a membership card application whose details have been leaked, and to not trust anyone wanting your money via phone.
