KUALA TERENGGANU: A civil servant has lost RM148,000 after falling victim to an investment scam.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Azli Mohd Noor said the 46-year-old man discovered an online advertisement for a stock investment scheme and later communicated with the alleged representatives via WhatsApp.
"The victim was invited to participate in an online investment class, where he was instructed to download the 'P Trade' app," he said.
Between Sept 19 and Oct 24, the victim made 28 transactions totalling RM138,000 into three separate bank accounts, as directed by the suspects.
The app showed a profit of RM1,333,530.
"The app indicated that the victim had earned significant profits, which made him believe the investment was legitimate," Azli said.
He said that when the victim attempted to withdraw his profits, he managed to redeem only RM3,400.
On Nov 13, his investment was frozen, and he was informed of a penalty fee of RM25,000.
"The victim was pressured to pay the fee, and despite paying RM10,000, the suspects continued demanding the remaining amount," he said.
This raised the victim's suspicions, leading him to file a police report on Dec 4.
The case is currently being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for fraud.