A 32-year-old female doctor working at a private clinic in Dungun lost RM558,000 after falling victim to an online currency investment scam earlier this year.
Dungun district police chief Superintendent Nik Ab Halim Nik Mat said the victim first came across an advertisement offering trading and investment lessons on Instagram before communicating with a suspect known as “Wan” through WhatsApp.
He said the woman initially paid RM300 to obtain videos on trading techniques before being persuaded to make further payments linked to the purported investment.
“Between Jan 12 and Aug 11, the victim made 77 transactions involving six bank accounts, with the total amount reaching RM558,000,” he said in a statement today.
However, the victim did not receive any returns from the alleged investment. She was later told to make additional payments as compensation to avoid purported legal action after allegedly being accused of committing an offence.
The continued demands eventually raised suspicion and led the victim to realise that she had been deceived, prompting her to lodge a police report.
In a separate case in Kuala Terengganu, a 60-year-old retired government employee lost RM92,781 after falling victim to an online fake loan scam.
Kuala Terengganu district police chief Assistant Commissioner Azli Mohd Noor said the victim had applied for a RM10,000 loan after seeing an advertisement on Facebook promising low interest rates and attractive terms.
The man subsequently contacted the suspect through WhatsApp and was instructed to make various payments allegedly for processing fees.
Azli said the victim made 86 payments to 28 different bank accounts between June 14 and Aug 13, using his savings as well as money borrowed from friends.
The victim was also instructed to provide personal documents, including a copy of his identity card, utility bills, pension card and bank account details, purportedly for record-keeping purposes.
The suspect later threatened to take legal action against the victim if further payments were not made. The victim lodged a police report at 3.39pm yesterday.
Both cases are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
The cases serve as another reminder that online investment and loan offers promising unusually attractive returns or easy approval can carry significant risks, particularly when victims are asked to make repeated payments to multiple accounts.
