KUALA TERENGGANU: A former oil and gas employee lost more than RM100,000 in savings after being scammed by an investment company claiming to offer syariah-compliant shares.
OCPD Asst Comm Azli Mohd Noor said the 57-year-old victim, who is a former oil rig employee, claimed a friend informed him about the investment company on Jan 29, 2023.
He then joined an online information session organised by the company’s sales agent to learn more about the investment offer.
“According to the victim, the company offered different investment packages with profit returns based on the amount of capital invested.
“The victim chose the package involving a capital of RM150,000 and was promised a profit of 18% per annum for three years.
“According to the agreement, the profit would be paid every three months, which is about RM6,700, for three years,” he said in a statement, Bernama reported.
ACP Azli said the victim had received payments of RM40,500 in profit, which was made in stages as per the agreement.
However, he said, the victim claimed that starting Oct 29, 2024, he no longer received payments and the company gave various excuses upon being contacted for an explanation.
“When the report was lodged on Monday, the victim still had not received the promised profit,” ACP Azli said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Police advise the public to be cautious when offered investments that promise lucrative returns.
In a separate case in Melaka, state police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar said two women were arrested for suspected involvement in a scam offering non-existent online loans.
The suspects, aged 25 and 33, were arrested during a raid at a residence in Desa Cheng Perdana here on Monday.
“They are believed to be part of a syndicate involved in offering fictitious loans via online platforms,” DCP Dzulkhairi said in a statement yesterday.
“The advertised loan amounts ranged from RM10,000 to RM60,000, with an interest rate of 2.88%,” he added.
DCP Dzulkhairi said the arrested individuals acted as customer service agents, contacting victims using a list of phone numbers provided by an unidentified person.
“They were paid a monthly salary of RM2,000,” he said.
