JOHOR BARU: A 48-year-old oil and gas technician became the victim of an online investment scam, incurring a staggering loss of RM908,305.
Johor police chief Comm Datuk M. Kumar said that the victim, who was working in Iraq in August 2024, received a WhatsApp message promoting an investment app promising high returns within just one hour.
“The victim was working abroad when he was approached through WhatsApp by a scammer offering an investment opportunity via a mobile app.
“Enticed by promises of rapid financial gain, he downloaded the app, attended online tutorials, and initiated multiple transactions, ultimately transferring RM908,305 to various accounts between September and November.
“Although the app displayed his investment as growing to RM8mil, he was asked to pay an additional RM100,000 as a withdrawal deposit,” he said in a statement here on Sunday (Nov 17).
Comm Kumar added that it was only then that the victim suspected that he had been cheated and refused to make payment before lodging a police report on Saturday (Nov 16).
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
“We would strongly advise the public to refrain from engaging in unverified online schemes, especially those boasting disproportionate returns.
“The public can also utilise resources like ‘Semak Mule’ to vet suspicious accounts and remain informed about commercial crime developments through official channels of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID),” he said.
More details can be found on @CyberCrimeAlert and @JSJK PDRM across social media platforms.
