PASIR PUTEH, Nov 19 ― A total of 1,420 out of 2,676 Macau Scam cases have been charged in court between January and October, involving losses amounting to RM256 million, said Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department deputy director Datuk Rusli Mohd Noor.

"Those who have been duped comprised lecturers, engineers and even bank employees,” he told reporters after launching the Bukit Yong Police Station here today.

Also present were Kelantan Police chief DCP Shafien Mamat and his deputy SAC Abdullah Mohammad Piah.

Rusli said the victims were easily duped by threats and sweet promises made by someone through phone calls allegedly from the Inland Revenue Board (IRB), police and court.

He said they would easily give away their PIN and bank account numbers and even take up bank loans of between RM200,000 and RM300,000 to be transferred into someone's account after being told to do so.

"There are some who even lost almost RM1 million,” he said.

Rusli urged those who received phone calls from strangers offering various attractive gifts and rewards not to easily believe them and to seek the advice of close friends and family.

"There are also individuals who are afraid to lodge a police report after realising they've been duped and only do so after being forced by their families,” he said.

On a separate note, Shafien said his team would record the struggles and sacrifices of policemen on duty at the Bukit Yong police station during the emergency against communist terrorists.

He said the book would detail how a group of communist terrorists attacked the police station, leading to some policemen being injured and killed.

He said many only knew about the communist terrorist attack in Bukit Kepong without realising a similar incident had also taken place in Kelantan. ― Bernama