A UNIVERSITY lecturer in Johor has lost more than RM304,000 after falling victim to an elaborate online investment scam that began with a Facebook advertisement promising unusually high financial returns.
The 50-year-old academic lodged a police report after discovering that the investment scheme, promoted through social media and messaging applications, did not exist.
Batu Pahat District police chief Assistant Commissioner Shahrulanuar Mushaddat Abdullah Sani said the victim first encountered the investment advertisement on Facebook on January 10 before being contacted by an unidentified individual via WhatsApp.
According to the police, the suspect convinced the lecturer to participate in the programme by claiming she could generate substantial profits within a short period.
The victim subsequently transferred RM304,427.46 in multiple transactions between January 19 and February 14 into 12 separate bank accounts believed to be linked to the syndicate.
“She was also asked to download an application that supposedly showed her investment profits,” Shahrulanuar said in a statement.
The fraudulent platform later displayed purported profits amounting to RM116,069.50, further convincing the victim that the investment was legitimate.
However, when she attempted to withdraw the money, access to her account was suddenly blocked, prompting her to realise she had been deceived.
Police are investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Authorities warned that online investment scams remain among the fastest-growing forms of cybercrime in Malaysia, with fraud syndicates increasingly exploiting social media platforms and encrypted messaging applications to target victims.
Shahrulanuar urged the public to remain cautious of investment opportunities advertising unrealistic returns, particularly schemes promoted through Facebook, WhatsApp and other digital platforms without proper regulatory verification. - May 18, 2026
