A FEMALE clerk, a nurse, and a senior trader collectively lost more than RM900,000 to online investment scams operating through social media and fraudulent websites, Pahang police confirmed today.
In three separate incidents, the victims – aged between 39 and 67 – were duped by syndicates using different tactics but the same platform: the internet.
Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman said the first case involved a 49-year-old female clerk from a financial institution who encountered a suspicious investment advertisement on Facebook on 12 June.
“She contacted the suspect and was informed of an investment opportunity involving the purchase of branded goods through a platform provided by the scammer.
“She received an initial return of RM835 after investing RM30,563, which led her to increase her investments,” he said in a statement on Friday.
Encouraged by the apparent success, the woman continued investing and was later told her ‘profits’ had reached RM438,748. However, to access the profits, she was instructed to pay 18 percent in tax.
Excited by the prospect of a large windfall, she transferred RM106,071 from her savings through 14 transactions into eight different bank accounts before realising she had been conned.
In the second case, a 39-year-old nurse was defrauded of RM634,400 by an online acquaintance she met on WhatsApp in mid-March.
“The suspect offered her a job opportunity abroad and later persuaded her to invest in a scheme promising daily returns of up to 10 percent,” said Yahaya.
The nurse was directed to a fraudulent website and, between 24 May and 29 June, transferred funds in stages into 10 different bank accounts.
“She even took out a bank loan to invest, only to discover later that the website was no longer accessible and no returns were forthcoming,” he added.
In the third incident, a 67-year-old male trader lost RM202,000 after falling for another bogus Facebook investment ad.
“The victim downloaded a supposed investment app from Google Play and registered as a participant. Attracted by the promised high returns, he made seven transfers into two separate accounts between 29 May and 19 June,” Yahaya said.
Suspicions arose when the trader was asked to pay RM147,833 in ‘taxes’ before he could withdraw RM100,000 in ‘profits’ displayed in the app.
Police are continuing investigations into all three cases and have reminded the public to be vigilant and verify investment offers before parting with their money. - July 4, 2025
