Malaysian badminton icon Datuk Lee Chong Wei recently revealed how he almost fell victim to a phone scam in an incident that highlights the rising threat of impersonation and fraud calls in the country.
In a Facebook post shared earlier today, Lee recounted how he was in the middle of a physiotherapy session when he received a call from an unknown number.
“Awak Lee Chong Wei?”
“Awak Lee Chong Wei?” the caller asked directly.
“If someone really knew me, they’d usually show some respect and address me as ‘Datuk’, not just call me by name.” Suspicious from the start, Lee noted.
The caller claimed to be “Roslan from the Cyberjaya Crime Prevention Unit” and proceeded to list out Lee’s IC number and phone number, asking him to confirm.
Then came the accusation — that his number had been used in scam activities in Melaka, and they were going to cancel it.
I immediately asked, what right do you have to cancel my number? If it’s true that it was misused, I’ll make the police report myself. Don’t throw accusations and jump straight to action,” he replied.
“Watch your tone!”
The scammer, seemingly caught off guard, tried to intimidate Lee, warning him to “watch his tone” and insisting it was an official call.
When pressed for an address to verify the office, the caller vaguely said it was in Cyberjaya and that Lee had to show up before 12 p.m. — at the time, it was already 11:30 a.m.
12 p.m.? What do you think I’m flying there?” Lee responded sarcastically before ending the conversation with.
“You tell your officer to call me. I’ll ask the Inspector-General of Police to call you.” The call was immediately cut.
Be cautious of scam call
Lee used the post to remind Malaysians to remain cautious.
There are too many scam calls these days. Scammers use panic and greed to manipulate people. Never share personal information or follow instructions without proper verification,” he warned.
This timely warning from the national sports hero comes amid a spike in reported scam calls impersonating government agencies. Malaysians are urged to report suspicious calls to the authorities and use official verification channels before taking any action.
Netizens’ reaction
The post has led netizens to share their own scam encounters and poke fun at the situation.
“These scammers must have a lion’s courage — they actually dared to mess with Datuk! 🥲”
“Datuk didn’t get the “I’m calling from JobStreet. Your resume has been selected” call too?”
