KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian celebrity Winnie Kok, known to fans as Winnie K, found herself ensnared in a web of deceit spun by a man claiming to be a “Datuk”.
Promising her the role of an exclusive brand ambassador for a luxury property project, the con artist left her RM380,000 poorer.
Recounting her ordeal at a press conference at Wisma MCA here, Kok said it all began in September 2023 when a close friend, who is also a host, introduced her to a “Datuk A”, allegedly a property developer.
“He showed me his upcoming project and prospects, which my friend had previously mentioned to me.
“He even promised to make me an exclusive ambassador with a payment between RM800,000 and RM1mil for a one-year contract,” she said yesterday.
Kok said she and Datuk A had a meeting after he returned from China in late September 2023, where he asked her for help.
“He showed me his WeChat e-wallet balance, which showed a huge amount of money as an assurance.
“He claimed that he couldn’t access the funds in Malaysia, and hoped that I could transfer some money to start implementing the project,” she said.
Kok said she was hesitant at first, as the money was meant for her mother’s medical expenses.
“I told him I was not comfortable, because it was my mother’s medical fund; she has dementia.
“But he was very convincing, he said he would return the money in two or three days.
“I believed him and transferred RM30,000 for the first payment,” she said.
Kok said she had altogether transferred some RM380,000 to Datuk A in a span of two weeks, before he “just disappeared”, adding she lodged a police report.
“I felt mentally unstable and got stressed out after losing all my hard-earned money.
“It took me years to finally have the courage to open up.
“I’m here today to share my story and raise awareness, to alert other artistes about the importance of being careful when accepting job offers,” added Kok.
Also present at the press conference was Malaysian Association of Arts, Live Events, Concerts and Festivals president Datuk Alan Foo and several Malaysian artistes who turned up in solidarity with Kok.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said the department has received many similar complaints from victims who were mainly women since last year.
“We at MCA, through our panel of lawyers and advisors, are ready to assist individuals who fall victim to such crimes, including legal and emotional support.
“I urge all these victims to come forward, don’t despair or take rash action,” he added.
