RM600k gone: Research officer falls for WhatsApp investment scam
KUANTAN: A 57-year-old research officer from Rompin lost over half a million ringgit of her life savings to a non-existent investment scheme — in less than two months.
Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the woman was lured in after receiving an initial RM1,000 profit from her first online investment, only to be defrauded of RM600,500 in total.
He said the victim was added to a WhatsApp group named "K81 Lombard Stock Investment Academy" on March 21 this year.
"She was instructed to download an application via a link shared in the group. Her first investment of RM14,000 generated a RM1,000 return, which was credited into her account along with her capital.
"Encouraged by the initial profit, she proceeded to make 28 transactions totalling RM600,500 into three different bank accounts between April 23 and June 4. The app claimed her investment had grown to over RM300,000 in profit," he said in a statement today.
However, when the woman tried to withdraw RM50,000, she was told to pay RM200,000 as a "service charge". Realising she had been scammed, she lodged a police report yesterday.
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