BATU PAHAT: A 54-year-old technician lost RM554,000 to an investment scam that was promoted on Facebook.
The woman lodged a police report yesterday, after she realised that despite her three-month-relationship with the China-based investment agent, she was duped, and resulted in losing her life savings.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Ismail Dollah said the victim was convinced by the scammer based in China, to download a link shared via Whatsapps, for an opportunity to invest in a company called PFG Group, offering lucrative returns.
She had made several transactions amounting to RM314,000 to three company bank accounts after sharing her personal details, including a copy of her Mykad (identity card), to the scammer.
The victim believed that she had made all the necessary checks and was excited when her investment in the PFG Group account revealed that she had made over RM2 million in profits.
However, she was advised to pay an additional RM240,000 if she wanted to withdraw the profits which amounted to RM2,036,252.29.
The victim, who had an almost three-month long business relationship with the agent since Oct last year, were constantly in contact, and had gained the victim's trust.
Trusting the agent had her interest at heart, she followed the instructions and credited the sum.
She realised that she was cheated out of her savings, after banking in over half a million, when the agent told her that the withdrawals were declined as her bank account was flagged for money-laundering activities.
Ismail said the victim lodged a police report at the Parit Raja police station yesterday, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the penal code for cheating.