A 65-YEAR-OLD water filter salesman from Kuantan lost RM218,239 in savings after being lured into a cryptocurrency investment, only realising he had been duped when he was asked to pay another RM30,000 to unfreeze his account.
Acting Pahang police chief Datuk Azry Akmar Ayob said the victim clicked on an investment advertisement on Facebook in July before being added to a WhatsApp group and promised high returns based on profits displayed on a popular cryptocurrency trading platform.
“He was then added to a WhatsApp group and promised high returns based on profits displayed on a popular cryptocurrency trading platform.
“The victim made 53 transactions totalling RM218,239 through various accounts to the digital platform. On Aug 20, he was told that his digital account had been frozen and that he had to pay RM30,000,” he said in a statement today.
Azry said a family member later alerted the victim that the scheme could be fraudulent, prompting him to lodge a police report yesterday.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries a jail term of between one and 10 years, whipping and a fine upon conviction. - September 17, 2026
