KUCHING: A retired civil servant has lost over RM25,000 to online fraud recently, involving over 60 unauthorised transactions, from March to June.
Sarawak DAP Chairman Chong Chieng Jen said the 72-year-old victim realised that he lost a huge amount of his savings for retirement early this month when he went to check his account balance at an automated teller machine (ATM).
He immediately lodged a police report on June 3 and had informed the bank as well as requested the latest bank statement. The bank has also begun investigating the case.
The victim who sought help at the DAP headquarter here today claimed that there were more than 60 unauthorised transactions, which were believed to be online transfers – that had been carried out without his knowledge in the past three months.
According to the victim (refused to be named), he did register and activate his online banking before, however, he never logs in his bank account online. He also never makes any payment or purchase via online banking before.
Chong said the unauthorised online transfers involved amounts as little as a few Ringgit to over RM6,000 per transaction.
“I believe this is a new modus operandi of online/financial fraud – where they would transfer a small amount instead of a big lump sum, to avoid being detected.
“Thus, I urged all bank account holders to constantly check their account as these cases are getting more rampant recently,” he said at a press conference here today.
The Padungan assemblyman also expressed his disappointment with several banks or financial institutes for their ‘undesirable altitude’ in addressing these cases.
He said most of the banks in the country have been encouraging their customers to use various online banking services, however, failed to ensure the safety and security of these bank account owners and their savings.
“Banks should be responsible for these losses that occurred due to unauthorised transitions,” he stressed.
Chong, who is also the Stampin Member of Parliament said he would raise the issue in the next Parliament sitting to urge the Finance Ministry to do something on online fraud, involving unauthorised transactions.
