JOHOR BARU: A 54-year-old foreign woman has lost her life savings of RM175,000 after falling victim to an online investment scam promising high returns in a short time.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said the victim, a retired private sector manager, encountered the scam in October of this year through a Facebook page named "Spark Liang" and was intrigued by its investment opportunities.
ACP Raub then said the woman contacted the company’s customer service via WhatsApp and was connected with a man claiming to be an investment consultant.
The suspect promised the victim quick returns on her investment. Interested, the victim provided her personal details for registration,” he said.
“She then received further instructions through WhatsApp numbers 011-72301336 and 010-8995923, operated by a woman.
The victim was persuaded to make investment payments, convinced by claims of numerous successful clients,” added ACP Raub on Wednesday (Dec 25).
ACP Raub added that between Oct 30 and Dec 10, the victim made seven transactions totalling RM175,000 to three different bank accounts.
“When the victim attempted to withdraw her purported investment returns, the suspect demanded additional payments. She only realised she had been scammed after all her efforts to recover her money were unsuccessful,” he added.
Preliminary investigations using the “Semak Mule” platform revealed that the three bank accounts involved had 15, 16, and 4 prior reports, respectively, all linked to investment fraud.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries a penalty of up to seven years' imprisonment, a fine between RM10,000 and RM100,000 or both upon conviction.
ACP Raub urged the public to exercise caution by verifying the legitimacy of individuals or companies offering investments through the Securities Commission Malaysia, refraining from sharing personal or banking information with unknown parties, and avoiding promises of large returns within a short timeframe.
“Using the Semak Mule portal to check suspicious accounts before making transactions is also recommended. The public can also stay updated on the latest commercial crime tactics by following the ‘Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Komersil’ official social media channels on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok,” he said.
Those who have fallen victim to a scam can contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 immediately to halt the outflow of funds to the suspect's accounts, he added.
