KUCHING: A local businessman here has lost RM1 million of his hard-earned savings of almost 20 years to an online banking scam in seconds.
The online banking fraud victim, who wishes to be known as Lee, 39, lost his money on Sunday (Feb 26) through two online transactions of RM500,000 each from his personal savings bank account to a third party without his knowledge.
Lee immediately called to lodge a complaint with the bank, lodged a police report and then sought help from the Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak.
According to Michael Kong, Special Assistant to DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen, Lee had on that day received an anonymous phone call claiming to be from Pos Laju requesting for his bank’s One Time Password (OTP).
“Being a savvy businessman, Lee sensed something was wrong and he hung up. After the call, the latter decided to check his account in order to be sure and discovered that a whopping RM1 million was brazenly withdrawn from his Maybank account without his authorisation.
“Based on his online bank transfer records, the money was transferred to an account going by the name ‘Celcom Sdn Bhd’,” he said in a press conference at the party’s headquarters here on Monday (Feb 27).
He said this is not even a case where a bank account holder had downloaded some malicious software (malware).
“He was merely answering a phone call (where the phone call was just within 14 seconds) and yet RM1 million in his bank account was literally stolen from him,” he said.
Worried more cases of online banking scam might happen, Kong therefore called on Maybank to provide a swift and satisfactory explanation on how such a huge transaction happened.
“No OTP or notification was sent to Lee. Furthermore, if one were to withdraw RM20,000 cash from his bank account over the counter, most banks nowadays will require the account holder to fill in forms and answer a list of questions justifying the withdrawal of the money.
“If withdrawing even RM20,000 is such a hassle, how could two withdrawals of RM500,000 each could happen within minutes?,” he questioned.
“Banks are supposed to be the safest place to keep our savings. Now, it seems that even banks are not safe, then where else can we, the common people, keep our savings?
“Therefore, the government must act immediately on such scams and hold banks responsible for the losses caused by these scams,” he said.
Kong also said that he and Sim Kiat Leng, who is also a special assistant to Chong will assist Lee to retrieve the money and seek compensation from Maybank.
Meanwhile, Lee’s wife said it was shocking that such a huge sum of money could ‘vanish’ in a day.
“Despite the incident, I try to take the matter positively and that my husband and I are physically safe,” she said, adding that she hoped the money could be retrieved.
