Electrician loses RM150,000 in fake investment scheme after early returns lure victim

A 48-YEAR-OLD electrician has lost RM150,000 after being deceived by a fraudulent investment scheme that promised lucrative short-term returns before allegedly withholding his funds and demanding further payments.

Kuala Terengganu District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Azli Mohd Noor said the victim first received a WhatsApp message on July 2 from an individual identifying herself as "Maira".

The suspect subsequently invited the victim to participate in an investment programme known as "Centralize International", claiming it would generate substantial profits within a short period.

To convince the victim of the scheme's legitimacy, the suspect instructed him to make several initial investments.

"Through five initial investments, the victim received profit returns as promised. This caused the victim to believe that the investment scheme was genuine and truly capable of generating profits.

"The suspect then offered a higher-value investment package worth RM100,000 with a promised bonus profit of RM70,000. Between July 8 and July 16, the victim carried out four transactions amounting to RM150,000 into several bank accounts specified by the suspect.

"However, after all the payments had been made, the victim did not receive any of the promised profits. Instead, the suspect claimed that the victim's investment account had been frozen.

"The victim was then instructed to make an additional payment to enable the investment funds to be released. The electrician eventually realised he had been deceived and was unable to recover the money transferred into the various bank accounts," he said.

Azli said the victim lodged a police report at the Kuala Terengganu Police Station at 5.05pm yesterday.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

Police said the victim suffered total losses of RM150,000, with the investment funded entirely from his personal savings. - July 19, 2026