GEORGE TOWN: A 60-year-old finance officer lost RM4.17mil after falling victim to an online investment scam linked to a Facebook advertisement.
State police chief Datuk Comm Hamzah Ahmad said in early March this year, the victim saw an advertisement for an investment under the name of KKR Investment on Facebook.
"The victim clicked on the link in the advertisement and communicated with a woman via WhatsApp. The victim was then added to a WhatsApp group named 'Kumpulan Analysis Kewangan Saham Malaysia'," he said in a statement on Wednesday (June 25).
Comm Hamzah said the investment promised lucrative returns based on the amount of capital invested within a short period.
He added that the victim was interested in joining and was instructed to download an application called KKR INV through a provided link, register as a member, and make an investment.
Between March 10 and June 13, the victim made 76 transactions into eight different company bank accounts, amounting to RM4.17mil.
"The victim realised she had been duped when she could not withdraw from the application, which showed the profit she had earned," he said.
The victim lodged a police report on June 24 at George Town police headquarters.
Comm Hamzah said the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code. He urged the public to be wary of online schemes offering high returns and to verify investment offers with legitimate authorities.
