MELAKA: A student here lost RM84,600 after being deceived by a digital currency investment scam advertised on Facebook.
Melaka Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Superintendent E Sundra Rajan said in the incident on Jan 5, the 25-year-old victim was contacted by the suspect via WhatsApp, and briefed about investing in Bitcoin.
He said the victim, who studies at a private higher learning institution, was promised a lucrative return within 72 hours, and was instructed to register on a website between Jan 5 and Jan 8.
"The victim made several payments to five different accounts in stages to buy Bitcoin totaling RM84,600.
"The suspect continued to direct the victim to make payments until she ran out of money, which led the victim to inform her family members," he said in a statement here on Monday.
Sundra said the victim then lodged a police report on Jan 8 at the Tengkera Police Station, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for fraud.
Sundra Rajan advised the public not to be fooled by advertisements and offers to participate in investments that promise lucrative returns in a short time, as well as to obtain investment-related information through official sources such as Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Securities Commission (SC). - Bernama