JOHOR BAHRU: An elderly accountant lost more than RM2.27 million, after being deceived by an investment syndicate promoting the purchase of shares through the WhatsApp application.
Johor police chief CP M Kumar said the 75-year-old local man lodged a police report yesterday, claiming that he was involved in the scam since Dec 19 last year.
“The WhatsApp messages he received provided information on how to invest, and promised a good return in a short time.
“Attracted by the offer, the victim followed the instructions in the messages, downloaded an application, and registered a bank account to monitor his investment,” Kumar said in a statement today.
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Kumar added that the victim was later informed by the syndicate that his profit had reached RM12.9 million as a result of the investment, but he was asked to pay a commission of RM1.6 million before he could access the profit.
“The victim refused to pay the commission as he suspected he had been cheated by a fake investment syndicate,” Kumar said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
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