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A 73-year-old stroke survivor with speech difficulties fell victim to an elaborate credit card scam that drained RM45,500 from his accounts in just 44 minutes, highlighting serious concerns about banking security measures for vulnerable customers.

According to the elderly man’s daughter, on 13 December 2024, he went to pay his phone bill at a telco outlet in Aeon Bukit Tinggi when he was approached by a man claiming to be the telco representative.

The suspect followed him to his car, sat beside him, and convinced him to drive to a KFC outlet in Klang town.

There, under what the family suspects involved psychological manipulation techniques locally known as “pukau,” the fraudster obtained the victim’s credit cards, personal information, and mobile phone.

Lightning-Fast Digital Robbery

What happened next exposed potential gaps in banking security systems.

Between 2:44 PM and 3:28 PM, 27 cash advance transactions totalling RM45,500 were executed across two different ATM locations:

17 transactions at Maybank Menara Klang (RM1,500 each)

10 transactions at UOB Branch Klang (RM2,000 each)

The transactions occurred approximately one minute apart, with the fraudster somehow managing to travel 2.5 kilometres between ATM locations in just five minutes to continue the withdrawals.

The victim’s daughter, posting on social media under the handle @hellotammylim, raised several troubling questions about the incident:

Can a 73-year-old elderly man teleport to another ATM machine 2.5km away in less than 5 minutes to perform multiple cash advance withdrawals?

She also questioned why 27 large cash withdrawals were allowed without triggering security alerts, fraud blocks, or red flags, particularly given the rapid succession and geographic impossibility of the transactions.

View on Threads

Vulnerable Victim Profile

The victim’s condition made him particularly susceptible to such scams.

As a stroke survivor with speech difficulties, he would have faced challenges in clearly communicating or seeking help during the incident.

He remained dazed in his car for two hours after the scam before managing to report the incident and block his cards and phone around 4 PM.

The family revealed this wasn’t an isolated incident.

They know of another victim who reported the same modus operandi at the same KFC location, involving cash advance withdrawals from the same bank of RM38,000 just months earlier.

In that case, the victim’s other credit card was blocked after the fourth withdrawal, suggesting that some security measures can be effective when properly triggered.

(Pix: Instagram: @hellotammylim)

Banking Response and Appeal

The family is appealing to the bank and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) under the latter’s 2024 Vulnerable Consumer Protection Policy, which specifically protects elderly consumers in cases of coercion, deception, or exploitation.

The cash advance feature allows customers to withdraw cash from their credit limit for emergencies with no documents required, providing instant access to funds.

However, this convenience may have been exploited in this case.

The case has generated significant social media attention, with many users expressing support and sharing the story to raise awareness about protecting elderly Malaysians from such syndicates.

“This happened in Klang, but it could happen anywhere,” the victim’s daughter wrote, urging others to share their story to protect more elderly people from similar scams.

The family continues to seek fair treatment under banking regulations while highlighting the need for enhanced security measures to protect vulnerable customers from sophisticated fraud schemes.

What You Can Do

If you encounter suspicious individuals claiming to represent service providers or banks:

Never follow strangers to secondary locations

Verify their identity by calling the company directly using official contact numbers

Keep your cards and personal information secure at all times

Report suspicious activities to the authorities immediately

If you suspect credit card fraud, call your bank’s hotline immediately.

You can also contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997.

Keep records of all correspondence, reports, and notifications regarding the fraud.

This documentation can be essential for both your bank and law enforcement.

READ MORE: Just Another Scam Case, Says Bank Staff To Customer Who Couldn’t Afford RM12 Card Fee After Scam

READ MORE: Malaysia Airlines Warns Of Scammers Posing As Customer Service Representatives

READ MORE: Retiree Loses RM90,000 In Devastating Credit Card Scam

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