Emily received a phone call from an individual claiming to represent the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC). The caller alleged that her bank account had been used as a transit account for illegal funds amounting to RM1 million and that an arrest warrant had been issued against her.

Fearing immediate legal consequences, Emily complied with the caller’s instructions. She disclosed her banking details and proceeded to the ATM to increase her daily transaction limit before executing the transfer as directed. She later acknowledged that she personally performed the transaction in accordance with the caller’s instructions.

Realising she had been deceived, Emily reported the matter, stated she was a victim of a scam, and requested a refund of the disputed amount.

FINDINGS

The bank’s records indicate that Emily’s daily transfer limit was increased to RM30,000 prior to the disputed transaction.

The transfer was completed and approved by the bank’s system using Emily’s chip-based debit card and verified PIN, which is only known to her. The system logs indicate that there were no PIN entry errors during the transaction.

Emily admitted in her police report that she transferred the funds to a third party after being deceived into believing she was working with an NSRC officer.

The bank’s efforts to recover the funds failed because the money was withdrawn from the beneficiary’s account immediately after the transfer.

OUTCOME

Emily was responsible for the transaction, as she personally executed it at the bank’s ATM using her debit card and valid PIN. The transaction was carried out in accordance with standard authentication procedures.

Although Emily was deceived by a fraudster, the loss arose from a transaction she authorised herself. Account holders are expected to exercise caution and independently verify fund transfer requests, particularly those originating from unknown or unverified sources, to mitigate the risk of fraud.