2 days ago
Back-to-back scams cost man RM450k
Cautionary tale: Chong speaking at a press conference about the double scam alongside Liau. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: A scam victim who was desperate to seek legal help got scammed again – this time by a bogus lawyer, says Datuk Seri Michael Chong.
The MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head said it all started when the victim, known as Liau, 55, joined a fake investment platform on April 10.
'He had responded to an advertisement by a so-called investment learning platform which lured him with the promise of investing in a purported China-Hong Kong Initial Public Offering (IPO),' Chong said in a press conference at Wisma MCA here yesterday.
Tempted by the offer, Liau used his Employees Provident Fund and loans from family members to buy the purported shares.
Chong said Liau had been pressured to continue purchasing the so-called shares every time the platform purportedly secured a new IPO, even though he could no longer afford it.
In the end, he lost a total of RM390,000 and lodged a police report at the Wangsa Maju police station.
Desperate, the victim turned to a 'lawyer' for help through a Facebook advertisement.
The lawyer, who claimed to be based in Hong Kong, told the victim that his RM390,000 was detected at a casino in Macau and insisted that the only way to recover the money was to win it back at the online casino.
Trusting the story, the victim handed over more money each time the bogus lawyer demanded it under various pretexts.
'I did not think it would be a scam, as I was too desperate to get back the money I had lost,' Liau said.
In total, he ended up giving the fraudulent lawyer RM61,500.
'I never imagined I would be scammed twice,' he added.
Chong said that this was not the first case involving fake lawyers.
Meanwhile, MCA Publicity Bureau chairman and lawyer Chan Quin Er said that Liau was seeking assistance, and the scammer took advantage of his desperation in his bid to regain his losses.
