Beware of Malaysian High Court Phone Scam

Dear Readers ......

Beware of a voice message from the “Malaysian High Court”. The message claiming you have not attended a court case is merely a scam to get your personal and bank details.

Scam #1

• Kuching, Sarawak: A housewife here has become the latest victim of a scam by a man claiming to be a court officer.
  The 32-year-old woman, from Sky Garden here, claimed she lost about RM233,000 to the scam.
  She said a man, who claimed to be an officer from the Kuala Lumpur High Court, phoned her on Monday and told her that she was a suspect in an illegal activity and to appear in court on Sept 24. Read more here

Scam #2

• I got a recorded message from ‘high court’ that I had missed a court hearing, and that I was summoned to another court hearing a couple days later… I was given the option to contact them for details by pressing a number (xxx press 1, xxx press 2 kind of style) and was investigated by a Bukit Aman officer… that I was suspected involving in a money laundry case, that a bank statement with my details were collected as evidence from a crime scene.
  The officer mentioned that my details might be stolen from somewhere and used for crime, and he would need my cooperation to clear my name. Read more here

Scam #3

• I received a call today claimed to be an announcement from Malaya High Court telling the receipient to attend an urgent court hearing in relation to certain investigation. The call was in Mandarin (i.e. Chinese). It carried an instruction to press "9" for details. Then a Chinese woman speaking in Mandarin picked up the call. She confirmed that the call was from Malaya High Court indeed. She even had the cheek to give me her name as "Lim Shee Hui" with a telephone 03-26948588 (note: the line was not picked up). I was "directed" to her office in Jalan Duta 2nd floor!!! Read more here

Scam #4

• The caller, purportedly from the “Malaysian High Court” would call a prospective victim, telling the person that he or she had missed a court hearing.
  The caller would then instruct the recipient to dial “9”. Doing so would put them in touch with an operator who would then insist that the victim gives his or her name as well as identity card number, supposedly for purposes of verification. Read more here

The authorities advice that:

• The public to ignore calls of such a nature and to lodge a police report if contacted by anyone making such a call.
• 
  "If it involves a court case, the court will send a letter and not inform you through telephone calls," he said.
• They should contact the police immediately if they receive such calls or are approached by anyone with such modus operandi.”
• Lastly, to spread the word around and warn them of the scams.

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