30-04-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
RM500k lost in third online investment scam case in Penang this week
GEORGE TOWN: A factory supervisor is the latest victim of online investment scams in the state this week alone, losing RM558,000.
The Southwest police Commercial Crime Investigation Department received a report from the 57-year-old man yesterday.
He claimed to have became a victim of an online investment scam involving the purchase of company shares from China via Facebook under the profile name "AI Investment".
The case is currently being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
State police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said the victim claimed that in February this year, he saw an investment advertisement called SERICREST PRO on Facebook through the AI Investment profile, which promoted the concept of purchasing company shares in China.
He said the victim then contacted the suspect via WhatsApp.
"The investment promised returns of five to 15 per cent of the invested capital within three days.
"It offered three packages: Level One is capital of RM100,000,
Level Two is capital of RM300,000 and Level Three is capital of RM500,000.
"The victim, interested in the Level One package, was asked to download an app called SERICREST via a provided link.
"The victim then made 29 transactions of money transfers into 10 different bank accounts," he said in a statement.
Hamzah said the victim only realised he had been deceived when the suspect promised to transfer RM1.2 million in profits to the victim's account between April 24 and 25 but nothing came.
"As of the date the report was filed, the victim had not received any of the promised profits and had suffered a loss of RM558,000," he added.
This is the third scam case reported in Penang since Monday.
On Monday, a 70-year-old accounting manager of a private company lodged a police report after losing RM1.365 million in an online investment scam.
On the same day, a 62-year-old retired civil servant ended up RM229,800 poorer after falling for a non-existent investment scam.
