A SENIOR university lecturer lost RM172,170 to two separate scams involving a fraudulent cryptocurrency investment platform and a so-called parcel scam orchestrated through an online romance.
According to Kuala Terengganu District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Azli Mohd Noor, the 54-year-old victim was first deceived in a cryptocurrency scam amounting to RM162,170, followed days later by a parcel scam that cost him an additional RM10,000.
“In the first case, on 15 July, the victim became acquainted with a woman from Hong Kong via the social platform TilMatch. She introduced him to a cryptocurrency investment opportunity and provided information about the scheme,” Azli said in a statement on Sunday.
The victim later registered on a platform called ‘cryptoproe’ and between 19 and 25 July made five transfers from his Luno account amounting to RM162,170.
“He realised he had been duped when he was unable to withdraw his earnings from the platform, and the syndicate continued to request further investment top-ups,” Azli added.
The funds were taken from the victim’s personal savings. A police report was lodged at 5.07pm on Saturday.
In a separate scam, the victim was again targeted on 27 July when he began an online relationship with an individual named ‘Elizabeth’, also via TilMatch.
“He gave her his home address to facilitate a parcel delivery from abroad. Later, he was contacted by someone claiming to be a courier from ‘Speed Parcel’ who demanded RM4,000 for the parcel delivery,” Azli said.
“The courier then claimed that Malaysian customs had detected money in the parcel and instructed the victim to pay an additional RM8,500 to resolve the issue. The victim managed to pay only RM6,000.”
When attempting to settle the remaining RM2,500 at an ATM, the transaction failed. Upon checking with the bank’s anti-scam division, the victim was informed that the recipient’s account had been flagged for fraudulent activity.
The victim, who used his own savings, realised he had again been deceived and filed another report at the Kuala Terengganu Police Station at 3.12pm the same day.
“Both cases are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating,” Azli confirmed.
Engineer loses RM230,000 to fake online investment scheme
Separately, in Jerantut, a 67-year-old engineer has lost RM230,000 to a non-existent online investment scheme after being enticed by a promise of rapid, high returns promoted via WhatsApp.
Pahang Police Chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the victim received a message on 14 July offering him an opportunity to invest in the stock market through a company calling itself ‘Elite Group’.
“The victim was told that by investing RM50,000, he could expect a return of RM150,000 within a short period,” Yahaya said in a statement today.
“Tempted by the offer, the victim agreed and made nine payments to four different bank accounts between 16 and 31 July, totalling RM230,000.”
However, the victim was later asked to make additional payments on the pretext that there were technical issues in processing the investment.
“Using his personal savings for the investment, the victim eventually realised he had been defrauded and lodged a police report,” said Yahaya.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
In light of this case, Yahaya advised the public to be cautious of online investment schemes that promise unusually high returns in a short time, particularly those promoted on social media platforms.
“Before conducting any transactions, people are encouraged to verify bank accounts through the official portal [https://semakmule.mp.gov.my](https://semakmule.mp.gov.my) to check for fraud history,” he said.
He also urged those who suspect they have fallen victim to scams to immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) via the hotline 997. - August 3, 2025
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