KUANTAN: A private sector employee suffered losses of more than RM600,000 after being deceived by a non-existent stock investment scheme promoted via social media.
Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said that on Nov 3 last year, the victim, a 57-year-old man, was believed to have contacted the suspect via WhatsApp after seeing a stock investment advertisement that promised lucrative returns.
“The suspect offered a stock investment scheme with a guaranteed profit of 30% within one month with a minimum capital of RM10,000. To convince the victim, the suspect instructed him to download an investment application,” he said yesterday.
He said that the application displayed purported profits to the victim, which steadily increased to about RM1,843,765.38, inclusive of investment commissions.
However, when the victim attempted to withdraw the invested funds along with the displayed profits, the suspect gave various excuses and requested additional payments before the withdrawal process could be carried out.
Yahaya said from Jan 9 to Feb 11, the victim made four fund transactions into four different bank accounts using personal savings as well as loans from family members, resulting in total losses amounting to RM636,123.
He advised the public to always conduct checks and seek early advice from the nearest police station before participating in any investment to avoid becoming victims of fraud, Bernama reported.
“The public is also encouraged to verify bank account numbers through the Semak Mule website before carrying out any financial transactions.
“Victims of scams are also advised to immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre at 997 to obtain prompt assistance,” he said.
