Two in Sibu lose over RM300,000 to separate online scams
SIBU (July 9): A senior citizen here reported the loss of RM200,000 after falling victim to a non-existent online investment scheme.
Sibu police chief ACP Zulkilpi Suhaili said the victim, in his 70s, had come across an advertisement on Facebook regarding the scheme.
'The victim was later contacted by two persons who introduced themselves as Timothy and Amy, who then added him to a WhatsApp group called 'Wealth Freedom KLSE'.
'They promised the victim high returns and convinced him to make two payments of RM100,000 each into a local bank account on June 25 and July 2,' he said in a statement today.
Zulkipli said after transferring the money, the victim was shown fake investment profit statements to convince him of the scheme's legitimacy.
However, the victim began sensing something was amiss when he was asked to pay an additional RM992,525 to supposedly redeem a 'lucky draw prize' involving shares of a company.
'He then lodged a police report and to date has not received any returns from his so-called investment,' said Zulkipli.
In a separate case, Zulkipli said a businesswoman in her 40s lost over RM110,000 to a phishing scam after clicking on a link in an advertisement on Facebook regarding the sale of fruits.
He said the victim's mobile phone suddenly shut down after she clicked on the link.
'Upon restarting the device, she found multiple unauthorised fund transfers had been made through her bank account and credit cards.
'A total of nine transactions were made to eight local bank accounts without her consent,' he said.
Zulkipli said both cases are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, and urged the public not to click on dubious investment-related advertisements or links on social media, especially ones that promise high returns.
'Always verify the legitimacy of the companies through official channels such as Bank Negara Malaysia and the Securities Commission,' he said. online investment scam Sibu
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