FOOLING victims by sending them fake documents using images of arrest warrants or appearance notices bearing police logos is the latest modus operandi of online fraud syndicates, Perak police chief Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said.

He said the department had received two such reports, where the alleged documents were purportedly signed by the “Perak police chief” and “Perlis police chief”.

“The first case is of a restaurant trader in Teluk Intan, who received a call claiming that there was a parcel containing prohibited items under the trader’s name,” he said in a statement yesterday.

“The complainant was also said to be involved in drug and money laundering-related cases and was sent a police arrest warrant and an appearance notice with a police logo and signed by the ‘Perak police chief’ via a message. However, the complainant did not fall for it and lodged a police report.”

He said in the second case, a university lecturer fell victim to the scam by revealing personal and bank account information, and lost RM98,000 via money transfers.

“The syndicate had sent ‘appearance notices’ bearing the police logo and signed by the ‘Perlis police chief’, claiming that the victim was suspected of being involved in a drug-smuggling and embezzlement case amounting to RM2.8 million, with the purpose of scaring the victim,” he said.

Yusri said last year, 358 cases of phone scams had been reported with losses amounting to more than RM15 million, while from January to May this year, 181 cases such cases had been investigated involving losses of more than RM8 million.

He said among the tricks used by scammers was impersonating the authorities, financial institutions, courts, insurance companies and delivery companies. – Bernama, June 20, 2023.