By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 10: A retired private sector employee in his 60s has lost a staggering RM200,000 after falling victim to a non-existent online investment scam.
According to Miri district police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah, the victim was enticed by an investment advertisement on Facebook in mid-May and was later added to a WhatsApp group called ‘A Gathering of Talents F’ after clicking a link from the ad.
“Believing in the legitimacy of the scheme, the victim made five separate transactions to two different bank accounts provided by the suspect,” he revealed in a statement issued today.
The scam unravelled when the suspect continued demanding additional payments under the pretext that further funds were needed to release the investment profits. Realising he had been duped, the victim lodged a police report.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries a penalty of imprisonment ranging from one to 10 years, whipping, and a fine upon conviction.
Mohd Farhan urged the public to remain vigilant and not be easily lured by investment advertisements promising high returns in a short time.
He advised those interested in investing to verify the legitimacy of such offers through official channels such as Bank Negara Malaysia’s Financial Consumer Alert List (www.bnm.gov.my/financial-consumer-alert-list) or the Securities Commission Malaysia’s investor alerts page (www.sc.com.my/regulation/enforcement/investor-alerts/investor-alert-list).
Members of the public are also encouraged to contact the National Scam Response Center (NSRC) at 997 immediately if they suspect they have fallen prey to online fraud, especially if they have just made a money transfer to a mule account.
Scam checks on phone numbers and bank accounts can also be done at the Royal Malaysia Police’s scam checking portal at semakmule.rmp.gov.my.
For information on the latest scam tactics and updates, visit the Commercial Crime Investigation Department’s (CCID) Facebook pages, including Cyber Crime Alert Royal Malaysia Police and CCID Sarawak.
Anyone with information about online scams may contact Miri IPD’s operations room at 085-432533 or visit the nearest police station. — DayakDaily
