A 57-year-old female lecturer has lost RM238,500 after falling victim to a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment scheme that operated through the Telegram messaging app.
Besut deputy police chief, Deputy Superintendent Md Sani Md Saleh, said the woman lodged a police report on Thursday after realising she had been duped.
According to the report, the victim first encountered an alleged “cryptocurrency investment academy” on Telegram at around 4:30pm on May 31. The scheme promised unusually high returns, which caught the woman’s interest. She later contacted a representative via WhatsApp using a number registered under the name “invest 1.”
Over a span of several weeks, the victim made 25 transactions into seven different local bank accounts, spanning from May 31 to July 16. However, she never received any of the returns that were promised.
“Only after weeks of no payout did she realise she had been scammed,” Md Sani said in a statement. “Her total losses amounted to RM238,500.”
Police are currently investigating the case under online fraud and financial scam offences, and have urged the public to remain vigilant, especially with investment schemes that promise quick or unrealistic profits.
