Man Loses Over RM260,000 To Online Investment Scam On Facebook

JOHOR BAHRU, 22 July (Bernama) -- A 57-year-old local man lost RM267,888 after he was believed to have fallen victim to an online investment scam syndicate advertised through the Facebook application.

Johor Bahru Selatan district police chief ACP Raub Selamat said the report regarding the incident was lodged by the victim at the Pelangi Indah police station on July 21 (yesterday) after realising he had been duped by an individual posing as an investment agent.

Initial investigations revealed that the victim was drawn to an investment advertisement displayed on Facebook before contacting a woman who introduced herself as 'Olivia Leong' via the WhatsApp application.

The suspect deceived the victim by promising investment returns of up to 80 per cent in a short period. The victim was then instructed to download an application and deal with an individual named 'George' for the transaction," he said in a statement today.

The victim only realised he was being scammed when he tried to withdraw his investment money, but the suspect instructed him to make additional investments.

According to Raub, the victim made nine money transfers between July 4 and 17, totalling RM267,888.

He said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, which provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years, whipping and a fine.

The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) advises the public to always be vigilant and not be easily deceived by promises of extraordinary investment returns displayed on social media.

"Check the company's background first; do not provide personal information; and avoid downloading unauthorised applications," he also said.

Raub urged the public with information related to fraudulent activities to channel it to the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 or check the official Semak Mule portal at the link https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my.

-- BERNAMA