KUALA LUMPUR: The suspects linked to the siphoning of millions from a bank targeted their victims based on insider information, says Bukit Aman.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf (pic)said the group stole the money in stages after they had identified high-value account holders.
“The money was taken out via the bank counter and the first one was conducted around April. Several more were done in May and June.
“With inside help, the money was taken out according to bank procedures. The case only came to light after an account holder went to the bank to update details,” he said at a press conference yesterday.
He said it was possible that syndicate members who were working in the bank also directly facilitated the transactions.
Among those caught included a bank manager.
Investigations showed that the mastermind had expertise in forgery and the syndicate members would use forged identifications to take money out of targeted accounts.
“The details would be the same but the photo and thumbprints would be changed,” he said, adding that forged documents were then used to facilitate the money transfers.
Meanwhile, another case has been detected, with losses involving RM551,000.
“This was done at another bank earlier in the year and we are also investigating that case,” he said.
When contacted, Comm Ramli said 13 people, including four bank employees, were detained recently in connection with millions of ringgit that vanished.
Arrests were mostly made in Kota Kinabalu with one suspect caught in Padang Besar, Perlis.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
“The involvement of bank personnel in commercial crime is a very serious matter.
“In the past, we have encountered cases where bank personnel were complicit in crimes such as criminal breach of trust or embezzlement.
“There are also those who were in cahoots with theft or scam syndicates,” he said.
Comm Ramli urged financial institutions to improve their security such as tightening procedures or imposing stricter measures in regard to withdrawal from accounts.
“Such measures are necessary to prevent theft or missing funds from customers’ bank accounts.
“We feel that improvements are needed for the sake of the account holders,” he said.
From 2022 to June 15 this year, a total of 485 cases of missing funds from bank accounts have been recorded involving RM35.01mil in losses.
“From the overall statistics, this year alone we recorded RM25.76mil in losses and 65 cases.
“The highest number was 225 cases last year, but it involved only RM4.82mil, followed by 195 cases in 2022 involving RM4.42mil,” he said.
Besides the involvement of “inside men” in financial institutions, Comm Ramli said another factor that could have contributed to the missing funds was disclosure of banking details to a third party.
“Our investigations revealed that some victims might have intentionally or unintentionally revealed details of their online banking username and password,” he said.
Comm Ramli said scammers are known for using the phishing technique to dupe victims via email or text messages.
He advised the public to stay vigilant and be wary of tactics used by scammers.
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Theft prompts security review
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PETALING JAYA: A recent embezzlement case involving bank staff in Kota Kinabalu has sparked calls for tighter security measures in financial institutions.
Universiti Sains Malaysia criminologist Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy (pix) said the recent case that saw over a dozen arrested was both concerning and a wake-up call.
“Although the number of wrongdoings and criminal acts by bank employees may be very minimal, it cannot be ignored.
ALSO READ: RM24.2mil fraud: BNM requests prompt refunds to all affected account holders
“The rakyat, investors and the business community depend on the banks to safeguard their money.
“We don’t have a choice in this matter.
“Banks must aggressively play a role in eliminating undesirable employees,” he said, adding that banks need to invest in internal security and loss prevention departments, even if it incurs costs.
“These departments should have the expertise to detect embezzlement, fraud and misconduct by employees,” he said.
“Security investments are assets, not liabilities.”
ALSO READ: Millions stolen from bank with insider help
Drawing comparison with law enforcement bodies, he added that employees at highly sensitive areas should be rotated to avoid any potential for leakages within the bank, even if they are competent in their jobs.
“This is especially important for positions with access to customer accounts,” he said.
Pre-employment screening must also be done for all employees with regular assessments for those in service, he added.
Duties must also be “robustly” segregated, with dual authorisation practices implemented as well.
“That was a substantial amount of money (lost) and I hope measures will be taken.
“Since it was an inside job, the bank must be responsible for covering every single ringgit and sen that was misappropriated.
“Banks must be proactive and they should work together with the victims and law enforcement to ensure such incidents are reported.
“Employee pilferage is not new but it is also not frequent. We must not tolerate it,” he said, adding that harsh penalties and criminal charges must be meted out on those involved.
Such cases, he said, also affects the credibility of the bank involved as customer confidence will drop.
Previously, Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said that four police reports were lodged since early June regarding suspicious transactions, with losses estimated to be around RM24.2mil.
As of June 18, the police have arrested 13 suspects aged between 22 and 52 years old.
Four suspects were found to be employees of the bank.
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/06/22/theft-prompts-security-review
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