Cops nab another 'Tan Sri' over MBI Ponzi scheme
Bukit Aman's Commercial Crime Investigation Department acting director Hasbullah Ali confirmed the 53-year-old Penang property company chairperson was detained on Thursday and remanded for five days to assist investigations...
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New Straits Times
21 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Doctor's life savings wiped out in RM8.7mil investment fraud
JOHOR BARU: A 53-year-old doctor lost her entire life savings of RM8.7 million after falling victim to an online investment scam that promised unrealistically high returns of up to 520 per cent. The woman lodged a police report yesterday after her attempts to withdraw the so-called profits proved futile. She had been enticed by a flashy investment advertisement on social media in April this year. Drawn in by the promise of lucrative gains, she contacted the syndicate behind the advertisement and was gradually persuaded to transfer the substantial sum into multiple bank accounts between May and July. Johor Baru (South) deputy police chief Superintendent Azrul Hisham Mohd Shaffei said the woman initially received RM6,033 in returns. However, subsequent attempts to withdraw the remaining "profits" were blocked, with the syndicate making further demands for payment, he said.. "The victim was threatened that her account would be frozen unless she paid an additional RM500,000 in so-called 'deposit' fees," he added. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries a jail term of between one and 10 years, whipping, and a fine upon conviction. Azrul advised the public to remain cautious and not be swayed by online schemes offering extravagant profits, especially those advertised on social media. He urged individuals to verify any investment opportunities through official platforms such as the police, Bank Negara Malaysia, or the Securities Commission. He also encouraged the public to stay up to date with the latest commercial crime tactics via the Commercial Crime Investigation Department's Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- New Straits Times
Kelantan loan shark ring busted in Op Vulture raids
KOTA BARU: Police have crippled an illegal moneylending syndicate following a series of raids under Op Vulture targeting loan shark activities involving threats and property damage in Kelantan. State police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the operation, jointly conducted by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department of the state contingent and the Kota Baru district, was held from July 17 to 22. He added that the two separate raids around Kota Baru led to the arrest of five suspects, aged between 25 and 39, believed to be involved in criminal intimidation and vandalism linked to unlicensed moneylending activities. "The suspects are believed to have carried out acts such as splashing red paint on victims' houses, pasting threatening notes, smashing windows with stones and locking the victims' gates as a form of harassment and pressure," he said. Mohd Yusoff said the first suspect was nabbed on July 23 during a raid in Pasir Tumboh near Kubang Kerian. "This was followed by the arrest of four more suspects on July 25 in connection with a paint-splashing incident in Pasir Hor," he added. During the operations, he said police have seized 34 items and they included red paint, pens, threat notes, clothing, face masks, mobile phones, and motorcycles believed to have been used in the crimes. "Early investigations revealed that the suspects were linked to at least nine cases of criminal damage across Kota Baru, Tumpat and Tanah Merah districts," he said. The case is being investigated under Section 5(2) of the Moneylenders Act 1951 and Sections 427 and 506 of the Penal Code for mischief and criminal intimidation. "All five suspects have been remanded to assist in further investigations," he added. Mohd Yusoff advised the public not to seek loans through unlicensed sources, including those offered on social media and unverified applications. He urged borrowers to verify lenders through official channels and conduct financial transactions only with licensed institutions. He also reminded the public not to accept payments for carrying out red paint attacks or other intimidation acts, as even being hired for such activities constitutes a criminal offence. "The police will not compromise with anyone who attempts to instil fear in the public for personal gain. "Any suspicious activity should be reported to the nearest police station or through our official channels," he added.
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- New Straits Times
Trump's distraction methods fall flat against Epstein uproar
UNITED States President Donald Trump's super powers as a public figure have long included the ability to redirect, evade and deny. But the Republican's well-worn methods of changing the subject when a tough topic stings politically are not working as his White House fends off persistent unrest from his usually loyal base about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. Trump has scolded reporters, claimed ignorance and offered distractions in an effort to quash questions about Epstein and the suspicions still swirling around the disgraced financier's case years after his 2019 death in prison. The demand for answers has only grown. "For a president and an administration that's very good at controlling a narrative, this is one that's been harder," said Republican strategist Erin Maguire, a former Trump campaign spokesman. Unlike political crises that dogged Trump's first term, including two impeachments and a probe into alleged campaign collusion with Russia, the people propelling the push for more transparency on Epstein have largely been his supporters, not his political foes. Trump has fed his base with conspiracy theories for years, including the false "birther" claim that former president Barack Obama was not born in the US. Trump's advisers fanned conspiracies about Epstein, too, only to declare them moot upon entering office. That has not gone over well with the president's right-leaning base, which has long believed the government was covering up Epstein's ties to the rich and powerful. "Trump's been running a Ponzi scheme based on propaganda for the better part of a decade and it's finally catching up to him," said Geoff Duncan, a Republican former lieutenant governor of Georgia and Trump critic. "The far right element is just dug in. They're hell bent on getting this information out." The White House has dismissed reporting about Trump's ties to Epstein as "fake news", though it has acknowledged his name appears in documents related to the Epstein case. T rump and Epstein were friends for years before falling out. "The only people who can't seem to shake this story from their one-track minds are the media and Democrats," said White House spokesman Harrison Fields. Before leaving for a trip to Scotland last Friday, the president again urged people to turn their attention elsewhere. "People should really focus on how well the country is doing," said Trump, lamenting that scrutiny was not being given to others in Epstein's orbit. "They don't talk about them, they talk about me. I have nothing to do with the guy." Trump in recent weeks has employed a typical diversion playbook. He chastised a reporter for asking about Epstein in the White House Cabinet Room. He claimed in the Oval Office that he was not paying close attention to the issue. And, with help from Tulsi Gabbard, his director of national intelligence, he explosively accused Obama of treason for how he treated intelligence in 2016 about Russian interference in the US election. On Thursday Trump took his distraction tour to the Federal Reserve (Fed), where he tussled with chair Jerome Powell about construction costs and pressed for lower interest rates. That, said Republican strategist Brad Todd, was more effective than focusing on Obama in 2016, which voters had already litigated by putting Trump back in office. "The Tulsi Gabbard look backward, I think, is not the way for them to pivot," said Todd, noting that Trump's trip to the Fed highlighted the issue of economic affordability and taking on a Washington institution. "If I was him I'd go to the Fed every day until rates are cut." Democrats have seized on Trump's efforts to move on, sensing a political weakness for the president and divisions in the Republican Party that they can exploit while their own political stock is low in the wake of last year's drubbing at the polls. A Reuters/Ipsos poll this month showed most Americans think Trump's administration is hiding information about Epstein, creating an opportunity for Democrats to press. Trump's supporters and many Democrats are eager to see a release of government files related to Epstein and his case, which the Justice Department initially promised to deliver. "Yesterday was another example of the Trump folks trying to throw as much stuff against the wall to avoid the Epstein files," said Mark Warner, a Democratic US senator from Virginia.
