KUALA LUMPUR: A woman and her boyfriend are believed to have cheated her children and relatives of RM1.2 million in a bogus investment scheme.
The two allegedly offered the victims an opportunity to invest in a casino junket operation in Genting Highlands, promising returns of 10 per cent.
Under the scheme, the woman and her boyfriend would bring groups of people to gamble at casinos in Genting Highlands, for which they would receive a commission.
The "investments" from the victims were supposed to go towards organising the junkets.
Today, two of the victims, including the woman's daughter Kristy, 27, and son-in-law, John, 33, told a press conference how they were conned.
John said his mother-in-law and her boyfriend, who claimed to be a licensed junket organiser, told him and Kristy that they needed investors as organising the junket cost RM50,000 per head.
"We did not think much of it as it was my mother-in-law who pitched this investment plan," he said.
The couple forked out RM500,000 and secured another RM700,000 from friends and relatives.
"We invested a total of RM1.2million between June and Sept in 2022 and they promised that we would see our returns in a year.
"But a year passed and we saw nothing and began pressing them," he said adding that at first, they received returns of RM200,000.
They were promised more returns which never came. John and Kristy then threatened the couple that they would lodge a police report.
John's mother-in-law and her boyfriend then gave them another RM200,000.
"That was the last payment. My mother-in-law started making excuses including telling us that her boyfriend had been put in jail and that the money she received had been invested in Cambodia.
"I went with my wife went to the office of the company supposedly running the junket.
"They informed us that no such person worked for the company and that we were likely victims of fraud.
"I tried to persuade my mother-in-law to come back to our hometown and lodge a police report but she kept giving excuses," he said.
Kristy said she is still in disbelief over what happened.
"I cannot believe that my mother of all people would be involved and cheat her flesh and blood," she said.
Meanwhile, Malaysia International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) secretary-general Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim said the two victims have lodged a police report on the matter in Kuantan, Pahang, in February.