Kulim: A 43-year-old planning manager lost more than RM314,000 after falling victim to a non-existent online investment scam since April.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kedah Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Loi Yew Lik reported that the victim was browsing Facebook and was drawn to an investment offer advertised on the social media platform. The victim clicked on the link in the advertisement, which led her to join an investment under the name of CMB International Capital. She communicated with several individuals via WhatsApp, with the numbers suspected to be from overseas.
The scammers promised the victim a return of 570 percent within two to three weeks on the amount invested. Trusting the promise, she transferred a total of RM314,100 in stages to three different accounts between August 4 and September 23. Initially, the victim received a return of RM5,000, but later, she stopped receiving any payouts and was asked to transfer additional funds if she wanted to obtain both the promised returns and her capital.
The victim became suspicious and realized she had been cheated. She lodged a police report at the Kulim district police headquarters at 8.15 pm yesterday. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code. Police checks found that CMB International Capital exists and is registered in Hong Kong, but it is suspected to have been misused by irresponsible parties to carry out fraud.
In a separate case, Loi reported that a retired female teacher suffered the same fate after losing RM160,000 to a non-existent online investment scam since July. The victim came across an investment advertisement for Principal Malaysia 204 on Facebook, clicked the link, and subsequently dealt with an individual via WhatsApp. Initially, the victim invested RM224 and was promised RM23,000 in profit within three hours. The victim then transferred RM244 to a bank account at 2.59 pm on July 22.
After three hours, she was informed that the investment yielded a return of RM23,000, but she was required to make various payments to withdraw the money. The victim eventually made 49 fund transfers amounting to RM160,000 to 30 different accounts until September 3, before realizing she had been cheated when informed by a friend. She lodged a police report at the Kota Setar district police headquarters at 11.45 am yesterday, and the case is also being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
Loi advised the public to be more cautious of online investment offers and to verify with the police before making any transactions with unknown parties. Checks can also be made through the Semak Mule app, the PDRM Commercial Crime Investigation Department Facebook page, or by contacting the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997.