JOHOR BAHRU: A 46-year-old accounts clerk lost her entire life savings of RM527,681.17 after falling victim to a sophisticated investment scam.
The victim received an unsolicited phone call from a man offering a betting-based investment game with promised returns of up to 5%.
She registered through a provided link and made an initial transaction of RM10,000 on June 12 in Taman Desa Tebrau.
After receiving a RM1,000 profit from two trial investments, she grew confident in the scheme’s legitimacy.
Between July 14 and September 4, she transferred funds totaling RM527,681.17 into nine different bank accounts.
The suspect then demanded additional payments before releasing her profits, prompting her to realise she had been deceived.
Johor Bahru Selatan police chief ACP Raub Selamat confirmed the victim filed a police report on September 12.
Investigations revealed the invested money came entirely from the woman’s personal savings.
Police checks through the Commercial Crime Intelligence System showed the suspect’s phone number had no prior fraud records but was likely misused.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Authorities urge the public to verify investment offers through the official Semak Mule portal before making payments.
They also advise immediate contact with the National Scam Response Centre at 997 for any suspected fraud activities. – Bernama