A 61-year-old supermarket saleswoman suffered losses amounting to RM290,910 after falling victim to an online investment scam before being deceived again by an individual posing as an officer offering to recover her money.
Kuala Terengganu police chief Assistant Commissioner Azli Mohd Noor said the woman lodged a police report at 12.59pm on Friday after realising she had been cheated through a fraudulent investment scheme promoted on Facebook since May.
He said the victim was attracted by an investment advertisement promising high returns with a low initial capital and was instructed to transfer money to activate the investment.
The woman later made several additional payments after being told the transactions were necessary before she could withdraw the promised profits.
However, after completing all the requested payments, she did not receive any returns as promised.
Azli said the victim was subsequently contacted by another individual claiming to be an officer handling online fraud cases, who offered to help recover her losses but demanded further payments as part of the process.
Believing the claims, the woman carried out 57 separate transactions to 16 different bank accounts between June 14 and July 31.
The total loss of RM290,910 involved her personal savings as well as proceeds from pawning her gold jewellery.
Police are investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and have reminded the public to be cautious of investment schemes offering unrealistic returns and individuals claiming they can recover scam losses in exchange for payment.
