The company lost RM327,000 to phone scam disguising director

KUCHING, 16 Oct: A company here lost RM327,000 after being sued by an online fraud syndicate who disguised himself as a company director through the WhatsApp app.

Kuching District Police Chief ACP Alexson Naga Chabu said the incident involved a 26-year-old local woman who worked at the company.

According to her, the woman received a WhatsApp message from an unknown phone number who introduced herself as the director of the company where she worked yesterday.

"The suspect then ordered the victim to make an online transfer of company money for the purpose of advance payment to renew a new contract.

"The next victim notified the order to the company's accountant to carry out the transfer of funds made through two transactions to different bank accounts", he said in a statement today.

However, he said that after the transaction was completed, the company's accountants reviewed financial records and found the name of the recipient of the money suspicious.

"The accountant then contacted the company's director for confirmation before discovering that he had never ordered the money transfer", she said.

Cases are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.