JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: A security firm's branch manager had RM14,351 wired into his account to pay his workers' salaries. The next day, the money vanished without a trace.

And V. Ranjit, 28, is furious. He claimed that his company's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur had wired the sum on Wednesday but it was not there when he checked his account the next day.

"I checked with my ATM card and there was no money there. I double checked by updating my bank book and the result was the same," he said.

When he demanded to know how the money could have been transferred out of his account, the bank manager told him the money was gone and it could have been due to someone breaking into the bank's system.

"He then referred me to the bank's Kulai branch where I activated my account.

"The bank officer there told me that they could only trace half of the money but it would also be quite difficult," he said, adding that the officer advised him to make a police report.

He said his account was new, and had been opened so he could receive money for the workers' salaries and other company dealings.

Ranjit has since made a police report at Taman Universiti police station, but the case has been transferred to Kulai Jaya district headquarters as his account was opened in Kulai.

Kulai Jaya OCPD Supt Zulkefly Yahya confirmed the report when contacted,

"We are also working with the bank to get to the bottom of this matter," he said and asked other possible victims of similar incidents to report to the police as soon as possible.

Supt Zulkefly urged anyone with information to contact the police hotline at 07-221 2999 or the nearest police station.