The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry warns the public about a fake investment scheme on Telegram falsely using its secretary-general’s name.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry has issued a public warning after its chief secretary’s name was misused in a fraudulent investment scheme.
The ministry confirmed that the name of its secretary-general, Datuk Hairil Yahri Yaacob, is being exploited by scammers operating on the Telegram application.
In a statement on social media platform X, MITI said the scheme uses a channel named “Ministry of International Trade and Industry” to deceive users. This name is crafted to give a false impression of an official link to the government ministry.
“MITI strongly denies any involvement of any ministry officer in the scheme or in any investment scheme on any platform,” it stated.
The ministry urged social media users to exercise extreme caution regarding suspicious investment offers. It advised the public to always verify information through official government channels.
It also warned individuals to refrain from sharing personal or financial information with unknown parties online.
“Any complaints can be lodged with the authorities or through MITI’s official channels,” the ministry added.
