Malaysian Woman's RM80,000 Investment Dream Turns into a Nightmare

A 50-year-old Malaysian woman experienced a devastating loss exceeding RM80,000 after falling victim to an online investment scam that preyed on her aspirations for substantial returns. The victim, a former secretary at a private firm, had initially hoped to secure a profitable investment opportunity but instead found herself deceived by a fraudulent scheme.

The Jasin district police chief, Deputy Superintendent Ahmad Jamil Radzi, reported that the woman was lured into the investment scheme through advertisements on Facebook. Since July, she had been engaged with the scam after clicking on a link provided by the syndicate, which redirected her to a WhatsApp application for further communication.

Once in contact with the scammers, the woman was required to pay a registration fee of RM1,235 to join the investment package. After making this initial payment, she received a promised profit return of RM8,000. However, this amount was not available for withdrawal, a red flag that was unfortunately overlooked in her excitement over the quick return.

Encouraged by the prospect of increased profits, the victim opted to invest more funds. Ahmad Jamil revealed that the investigation indicated she withdrew her savings from her Employees Provident Fund (EPF) account, making several deposits into five different bank accounts linked to the scammers. In total, she transferred RM82,175 in hopes of receiving more significant returns.

As time went on, the woman became increasingly alarmed when her anticipated profits remained inaccessible. The situation escalated when she was instructed to pay an additional RM20,000, purportedly as a withdrawal tax, before she could access her investments. This demand ultimately led her to realize that she had been deceived.

Feeling betrayed, she reported the incident to the Jasin Police Station, prompting an investigation into the matter. The police are currently pursuing the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which pertains to fraud.

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