Latest news with #CommercialCrime
The Star
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Star
Insurance agent and retiree lose RM2.35mil to online scams
GEORGE TOWN: Two people, including an elderly man, suffered losses totalling RM2.35mil after falling victim to online investment scams in separate incidents in Penang. State police chief Comm Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said in the first case, the Commercial Crime Investigation division of the Seberang Perai Tengah district police headquarters received a complaint from a 57-year-old local man on Saturday after he lost almost RM1.5mil. 'According to the insurance agent, he saw a stock investment advertisement promising high returns on Facebook in December. 'The victim then contacted a female suspect via WhatsApp. 'The investment offered various packages with promises of lucrative returns. 'The victim downloaded the stock investment application and on Dec 30, made the first transfer of RM9,999. He earned a profit of RM18,400,' Comm Hamzah said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported. He said the victim's confidence grew in the investment and he subsequently made 35 fund transfers between Feb 17 and April 24 into seven bank accounts belonging to different companies totalling RM1,495,176. Comm Hamzah said the man only realised he had been a victim of fraud after failing to withdraw profits from the investment app and was even asked to make an additional payment. In the second case, he said a 73-year-old retired accountant at a factory filed a police report at the George Town district police headquarters on Saturday after falling victim to an online investment scam involving a loss of RM855,001. 'According to the victim, he saw an advertisement on cryptocurrency investment that offered high profits in a short period of time on Facebook in March. 'The elderly person clicked on the advertisement link before contacting a female suspect via WhatsApp,' he said. Comm Hamzah said the victim downloaded the investment application before making 14 transactions to five bank accounts belonging to different companies from April 15 to June 11, but did not receive any profits. He added that investigations were being carried out to trace the fraud syndicate. Both cases are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Malay Mail
16-06-2025
- Malay Mail
Police arrest man in Haj scam involving elderly pilgrims forced to trek perilous routes and locked up in Saudi Arabia
SEREMBAN, June 16 — A 67-year-old man has been remanded for four days to assist in the probe into a Haj package scam involving elderly pilgrims who claimed they were confined and forced to walk through dangerous routes in Saudi Arabia. Negeri Sembilan police chief Datuk Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yusoff said the suspect was nabbed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport yesterday following several reports lodged against him here, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code. He said preliminary investigations revealed that the victims from Mantin, aged between 30 and 60, suffered losses amounting to RM81,000. 'The victims comprised a husband and wife and their daughter. We suspect more victims may have been affected by this fraudulent scheme. 'We are still investigating to determine whether the scam was operated by an individual or through an agency,' he told reporters at the Seremban City Council Hall today. Ahmad Dzaffir also called on other victims of Haj scams to lodge police reports to aid the investigation. Yesterday, Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department acting director Datuk Seri Muhammed Hasbullah Ali said three police reports have been received from the victims' next of kin, namely two in Mantin and one in Ayer Hitam, Johor. Media reports earlier stated that 47 Malaysian pilgrims had allegedly fallen victim to a Haj scam by a local agent involving a well-known religious figure. According to one of the victim's daughters, her parents and aunt, who travelled to Saudi Arabia on May 9, were forced to trek through dangerous routes from Jeddah to Makkah without proper documents, food, or water, allegedly to avoid detection by Saudi authorities. The group also claimed they were locked in a dark, cramped room and told to pay an additional RM9,000 to retrieve their belongings, despite already having paid RM30,000 for the Haj package. — Bernama
Malay Mail
15-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Penang police chief: Woman clerk loses RM465,200 to fake ‘KLSEC' investment scheme
BUKIT MERTAJAM, May 15 — A private sector woman clerk lost RM465,200 after falling victim to a syndicate offering a non-existent online investment scheme known as 'KLSEC' recently. Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said the Commercial Crime Investigation Division of the Seberang Perai Tengah Police Headquarters received a report from the 47-year-old woman regarding the scam yesterday. 'In March, she came across a share investment advertisement on Facebook and contacted a woman via WhatsApp before being told to download the 'KLSEC' application and registering herself as a member to carry out investment activities. 'The clerk was promised profits of up to 60 per cent within a short period and she made 14 cash transactions into three different bank accounts involving a total of RM465,200,' he said in a statement today. Hamzah said the woman clerk became suspicious when she failed to withdraw the profits shown on the application and was instead told to make more investments if she wanted to make the withdrawal. He said the case is being investigated under section 420 of the Penal Code. — Bernama
