Accountant loses RM1.33mil to fake investment scam

JOHOR BARU: A 42-year-old accountant lost RM1.33mil worth of savings after falling for a fake online investment scam.

Johor police chief Comm M. Kumar said the victim lost his money after downloading an app called "Fidelity Max" through the Play Store.

“The victim had stumbled upon an advertisement on investment through social media in October that promised a high return.

“He then made contact with an individual via WhatsApp who shared with him how to buy company stocks from inside and outside the country.

“After registering on the app, the victim made payments to a few accounts between October and January,” he said in a statement on Monday (Jan 29).

“He then noticed that his investment had made a huge profit and decided to withdraw the money but only received RM2,000.

“His attempt to withdraw more was met with various excuses, and he only realised that he had been duped after he was requested to make another payment for the withdrawal,” he said.

The victim then lodged a police report on Sunday (Jan 28).

Those who want to make online money transfers are advised to check the bank account number on the Semak Mule app or https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my/ before doing so, or download the Whoscall app to reduce the risk of being scammed.