KUALA LUMPUR: It began with a click and a promise that quickly spiralled into coercion and loss.
Two victims ended up losing more than RM135,000 of their savings.
The first case here involved a 28-year-old engineer who was left RM27,580 poorer after falling into a syndicate’s trap offering online sex services via TikTok.
What appeared to be a discreet transaction soon turned into a series of payments, threats and intimidation.
Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Hoo Chang Hook reported that the engineer was browsing the app from his home in Bangsar at 8.22am on Friday when he clicked on a link associated with the WhatsApp application.
“The victim was then offered the package and began dealing with several agents via three different phone numbers before making 22 transactions to six different accounts with a total payment of RM27,580,” he said in a statement, Bernama reported yesterday.
ACP Hoo said that initial investigations indicated the victim faced threats of legal action if he cancelled the booking.
Furthermore, he was warned that information regarding the booking would be shared on social media if he did not comply with the syndicate agent’s instructions.
He said the case was being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and that his department had detected several reports involving the same modus operandi recently.
In a separate case in Pontian, a retiree’s hopes of easy profit were shattered after she lost RM108,000 to a bogus online investment scheme that dangled lucrative returns but delivered nothing more than empty assurances and mounting losses.
Pontian OCPD Supt Hadzrat Hussien Mion Hussain said the 61-year-old woman had dealings with a person offering a share investment package from a company, promising returns of 80% on the investment amount.
“Attracted by the offer, the victim made several transactions into a company account from March 11 until Friday, totalling RM108,000,” he said in a statement.
