Kuala Lumpur commercial crime investigation department chief Mahidisham Ishak said the woman, working in the private sector, received a call from a man who claimed to be an officer from the health ministry’s Medicines Supply Enforcement Division on April 18.

“The victim was asked whether she had obtained an extra supply of drugs such as painkillers, cough medicine and flu medicine at a community clinic.

“The victim denied the allegation but the call was then connected to another man, who claimed to be a police officer who told the victim that there was also a record of her being involved in money laundering,” he said in a statement today.

Mahidisham said the 47-year-old victim thought that if she did not confess to the alleged offences, an arrest warrant would be issued against her.

He said the victim panicked and made money transfers five times into a bank account from April 22 to April 26. The total amounted to RM132,900.

Mahadisham said the “police officer” asked the victim to wait for the results of the investigation. On April 30, she received a phone call and was asked to make an additional payment.

“Realising that she had been cheated, the victim lodged a police report on the same day.

“The syndicate members are being tracked down. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating,” he said.

Mahidisham advised the public to check bank accounts or suspicious telephone numbers through the website http://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule and to report any crime or suspicious activity to the Kuala Lumpur police hotline at 03-2146 0584/0585 or the nearest police station.