Kuala Terengganu police chief Azli Noor said the 68-year-old victim was contacted on Jan 16 by the scammers, who accused her of being involved in money laundering and tampering with water meters.

The syndicate then told her to share her banking details, claiming this was part of the investigation process, Bernama reported.

“The victim was then directed to put her debit card in a plastic bag and hang it on a tree in front of her house. She soon received alerts about large withdrawals from her accounts.

“After reaching out to her bank to freeze her accounts and obtain transaction statements, she learned that over 55 transactions had been made to four accounts through ATMs,” said Azli.

Police are probing the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.