KUCHING, Sept 13 — A businessman from Miri lost RM570,000 after being duped by a non-existent investment offer advertised on Facebook.
Miri district police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the victim, in his late 50s, saw the advertisement offering a stock investment on the Facebook page of the Malaysian Chinese Association before contacting an unknown individual through the platform.
“The suspect was offered the investment scheme promising attractive returns in a short period of time. The victim, who was attracted by the offer, was then instructed to invest in “Chief Inv,” he said in a statement today.
He said the victim carried out several money transactions in stages into a bank account provided by the suspect, with an amount totalling around RM570,000.
He also said the victim realised he had been scammed after he failed to withdraw the profits he had been promised, and the suspect then demanded additional payment if the victim wanted to receive those returns.
“Until the police report was lodged, the victim had not received any profits. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating,” he added.
Mohd Farhan advised the public to be cautious about online investments that promise high returns in a short period and suggested checking suspicious companies or websites via the official portal of Bank Negara Malaysia (semakmule.rmp.gov.my/bnm) or the Securities Commission Malaysia (sc.com.my). — Bernama
