Johor insurance agent loses RM372,645 in social media investment scam

LocalBusiness & Finance
8 Nov 2025 • 4:15 PM MYT
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A LOCAL insurance agent lost RM372,645 after being deceived by a fake investment scheme promoted on Facebook, police confirmed.

Deputy Chief of Johor Bahru Selatan Police, Superintendent Azrul Hisham Mohd Shaffei, said the 36-year-old victim reported that the scam began on 28 September while he was at his home in Taman Puteri Wangsa.

“The victim was interested in an investment advertisement on Facebook and contacted the suspect.

He was then instructed to download an investment application and open an account using his personal details. While no fixed returns were promised, the victim saw apparent increases in his account balance within the app,” he said.

Azrul said the victim transferred money 26 times across four different bank accounts between 28 September and 4 October, totalling RM372,645.

“After making the payments, the victim did not receive any promised returns and was asked to make additional payments to withdraw supposed profits. The victim became suspicious and refused further transactions, suspecting he had been defrauded,” he added.

Police investigations are ongoing, including tracing the bank accounts involved, recording statements from the banks, and working with telecommunications providers to identify the suspect’s phone numbers.

“The case is being investi Johor Bahru, Crime, Online Scam, Social Media Fraud, Police Investigation, Financial Fraud gated under Section 420 of the Penal Code,” Azrul said. - November 8, 2025