JOHOR BARU: An 84-year-old man has fallen victim to an investment scam and lost RM500,000 after being lured by promises of high returns.
Johor Baru North OCPD Asst Comm Balveer Singh said the police received the report on Friday (Jan 17), in which the victim shared that he was added to a WhatsApp investment group in October 2024.
“He was introduced to an individual named Dong Yuan, who contacted him via the number +1(720)9843320.
“Dong Yuan explained an investment scheme involving shares that allegedly offered returns as high as 100%.
“Drawn by the enticing promises, the victim downloaded an app named DIGZAXXCE to monitor his supposed earnings,” he said in a statement here on Saturday (Jan 18).
ACP Balveer added that between Jan 6 and Jan 15, the victim made 12 cheque payments to two separate bank accounts provided by the suspect, amounting to a total of RM500,000.
“The scam was uncovered when the victim’s accountant informed him that the investment was illegitimate.
“The warning came after the victim was asked to pay additional fees to withdraw his alleged high returns in USD, as displayed on the fraudulent website digzaxa.com.
“The victim was threatened that if he refused to pay, his earnings would be frozen,” he said, adding that the case is currently being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
ACP Balveer urged the public to remain vigilant against the growing trend of commercial crimes, particularly online scams.
“Do not trust investment or job offers that promise quick returns or high commissions,” he added.
To verify the legitimacy of offers, the public is encouraged to utilise online services provided by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), such as Semak Mule to check suspicious bank accounts, the CCID Scam Response Centre via hotlines at 03-26101559 or 03-26101599, the CCID Infoline, official Facebook pages JSJK PDRM and BSJK PDRM, and the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) via its hotline at 997.
