IPOH: A businessman in Hutan Melintang lost over RM100,000 from his company account in a phone scam.

Perak police chief Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said the 55-year-old victim claimed that a clerk in his company in Gopeng received a WhatsApp message on May 8, allegedly from him, directing her to transfer RM30,000 from the company account to another account.

The complainant's son then authorised the money transfer transaction, believing that the instructions had come from his father, he said.

"On May 9, the clerk conducted another money transfer transaction totalling RM8,000 to a different account.

"The clerk made three money transfer transactions, totalling RM86,450, into two different accounts on the same day," he said in a statement today.

According to Mohd Yusri, the complainant only realised his WhatsApp account had been hacked yesterday, while he was in Hat Yai, Thailand, when a friend contacted him, asking if he had financial problems, as the hackers had requested his contacts lend 'him' money.

However, the complainant stressed that he had not given any instructions to transfer money or requested his contacts to lend 'him' money.

"Upon checking, the complainant detected five money transfer transactions, totalling RM124,450, from his company account to three different accounts," he said, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

Mohd Yusri advised the public to exercise caution so that they do not fall for any phone scams and refrain from clicking on any links or downloading unknown documents from social media sites.

He also urged the public to check the authenticity of bank accounts through http://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule/ first before making any fund transfers.

 - BERNAMA