(Miri, 28th) Miri police confirmed that on the 29th of this month, they received a report involving an 'online stock investment' scam, in which a local man in his 40s was defrauded of a total of RM1,540,458.
Miri District Police Chief, Acp Mohd Farhan Lee Bin Abdullah, pointed out today that the victim saw a stock investment advertisement while browsing the Google website, clicked the link, and contacted a woman who identified herself as 'Susan' via WhatsApp (phone number 013-9236855).
Under her guidance, the victim made 22 transfers to 8 different bank accounts, losing a total of RM1,540,458 for the so-called stock investment transactions. However, when the victim requested to withdraw the investment profits, the other party kept making excuses. It was only then that the victim realized he was deceived and reported it to the police.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code (Fraud), which, upon conviction, carries a punishment of no less than one year and not more than ten years in prison, in addition to being fined and whipped.
Police Remind Public to Beware of High-Return Investment Scams
The police urge the public to stay vigilant and not to trust any investment advertisements claiming to offer high returns within a short period. If in doubt, the public can check through Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) website (www.bnm.gov.my/financial-consumer-alert-list) or the Securities Commission Malaysia’s (SC) website (www.sc.com.my/regulation/enforcement/investor-alerts/sc-investor-alerts/investor-alert-list) to find out if the investment scheme is licensed and permitted to raise funds from the public.
In addition, if the public suspects that they have become victims of online fraud (such as phone scams, romance scams, online shopping scams, bogus loans, etc.) and have completed a transfer in a short time, it is recommended to immediately call the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) hotline 997 for assistance.
The police also encourage the public to check the given phone number or bank account involved in any transfer in advance using 'Check Scammers CCID' or the website (http://semakmule.rmp.gov.my) to see whether it is related to fraud cases.
The public can also follow the official Facebook pages of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department of Malaysia, Cyber Crime Alert Royal Malaysia Police, and Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department to keep up with the latest scam tactics and avoid falling victim to scams.