A PRIVATE clinic doctor lost RM558,000 after falling victim to an online currency investment scam, while a retired civil servant in Kuala Terengganu was cheated of RM92,781 in a separate online loan scam.
Dungun district police chief Superintendent Nik Ab Halim Nik Mat said the 32-year-old doctor initially contacted the scammers through Instagram after seeing an advertisement offering trading and investment lessons.
She was later directed to communicate with another suspect known as “Wan” through WhatsApp.
“The victim was asked to pay RM300 to obtain videos on trading techniques before making 77 transactions into six bank accounts between Jan 12 and Aug 11, totalling RM558,000,” he said in a statement today.
Nik Ab Halim said the victim did not receive any investment returns and was subsequently told to pay compensation to avoid legal action after being accused of committing an offence.
She eventually realised she had been cheated and lodged a police report, he said.
In a separate case in Kuala Terengganu, a 60-year-old retired civil servant lost RM92,781 after falling victim to a bogus online loan scheme following his application for a RM10,000 loan in June.
Kuala Terengganu district police chief Assistant Commissioner Azli Mohd Noor said the man came across the loan offer on Facebook and was attracted by its purported low interest rate and favourable terms.
“The victim contacted the suspect through WhatsApp and was asked to pay processing fees. He made 86 payments into 28 accounts using his savings and money borrowed from friends between June 14 and Aug 13.
“Besides that, the victim was also forced to provide personal details, including a copy of his identity card, utility bills, pension card and bank account information, allegedly for record-keeping purposes,” he said in a statement today.
Azli said the suspect subsequently threatened to take legal action against the victim if he failed to make additional payments.
The victim lodged a police report at 3.39pm yesterday.
Both cases are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. - August 16, 2026
