Married couple loses over RM1.6mil to investment scam

 

Police said the female victim was contacted by three people using different phone numbers. (File pic)

JASIN: A married couple, both directors of a wood-carving company, lost over RM1.6 million after falling prey to an investment scam on Facebook.

Jasin police chief Ahmad Jamil Radzi said the wife, 38, was contacted by three people using different phone umbers after expressing interest in an investment scheme on Facebook.

“She was then added to three different investment-related WhatsApp groups, and given briefings on share investment seminars, tips on shares with potential, and notes about share investments.

“After being in the groups for two weeks, the woman and her husband, who is in his 40s, were ordered to leave the groups to undergo investment training in a new WhatsApp group in October,” Jamil said in a statement.

He said the couple was then ordered to download several apps on Google Play Store and to make fund transfers in stages of over RM1.6 million to 19 company accounts for share investments.

The couple had received returns of RM277,148 during that period before realising they had been scammed when they received a suspicious initial public offering certificate from China containing spelling errors.

They subsequently lodged a police report at the Jasin police headquarters at 6.46pm on Nov 30, he said.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for fraud. - FMT