JOHOR BARU: A man lost RM87,479 after falling victim to a non-existent stock investment scheme, which he joined after receiving a WhatsApp link from a company at 6.30pm on Aug 12.
Johor Baru North Distict police chief Assistant Commissioner Balveer Singh Mahindar Singh said that they received a complaint from the 52-year-old victim regarding the incident yesterday (Oct 20).
He said the victim received a WhatsApp message from an individual introducing herself as Mandy, claiming to be a representative of Boci Club Members, who offered stock investments with a promised return of 80 per cent.
"The victim, enticed by the promised profits, agreed to invest and completed two transactions to two different accounts provided. He invested from Sept 13 to Oct 15, totaling RM87,900. During this period, he only received a return of RM421," he said in a a statement today (Oct 21).
Balveer said that the victim realised he had been scammed when he was asked to make an additional payment of RM15,000 to withdraw his profits.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for fraud, with inquiries ongoing to identify any potential involvement of account mules for further action.
"The public is urged not to easily trust any online investment or job offers that promise quick returns and high commissions.
"For safety, they can use online services provided by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), such as Semak Mule, or contact the CCID Scam Response Centre at 03-26101559 or 03-26101599.
"Additional resources include the CCID Infoline, CCID Police Facebook page, and the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 for information related to commercial crimes before making any payment transactions," he added.