Deputy Ministers Mom does not fall prey to "Phone Scam" where Caller says your loved one is arrested by police and a bribe is needed

Scammer fails in bid to con Chua’s mum

Festival ritual: Chua distributing angpow to the Labis community during the Labis MCA division Chinese New Year open house in Bekok, Johor.

 

LABIS: MCA vice-president Datuk Chua Tee Yong has become the latest victim of scammers after his mother received a call from a “police officer” purporting that he was detained at the Pudu police station after drugs were found in his car.

“It is questionable how a scammer managed to not only obtain and clone my previous contact number which was already deactivated, but also obtain my mother’s contact number,” Chua told reporters during his Chinese New Year open house here yesterday.

He exhorted telecommunication companies to take extra precautionary measures to protect the personal information of their ­customers.

He stressed that telcos had the responsi­bility to protect customer data and ensure that personal information was kept secure.

Chua was commenting on his police report, which was lodged in Putrajaya on Thursday, regarding an anonymous caller who contacted his mother alleging that the police had ­arrested Chua for drug possession.

“I believe the scammer was trying to con my mother for money,” he said, adding that his mother did not fall prey to the scam because she knew his whereabouts.

Chua, who is also Deputy Finance Minister, added that the telecommunication company of his previous number was co-operating with the police in the investigation.