Duo in Bintulu, Miri lose RM1.4 mln in total to investment, phone scams

KUCHING (Oct 12): A 60-year-old man in Bintulu and a woman in her 20s in Miri were the latest to lodge police reports after falling victim to scams, according to Sarawak police commissioner Dato Mancha Ata.

He said victim in Bintulu, a contractor lost RM1.2 million to an investment scam, while the victim in Miri, a civil servant, lost RM200,000 through a phone scam.

Regarding the case in Bintulu, Mancha said the victim had received a text message in June from an unknown individual claiming to be from an investment company.

“The suspect offered consultation services in stock sales and purchases, promising high-interest profits to the victim.

“The victim, who was interested in the offer, communicated with the suspect through WhatsApp, providing personal information to register for the investment,” he said in a press statement yesterday.

Mancha added that the victim made several online transactions totaling RM1.2 million through an application named ‘L-Trader Max’ provided by the suspect.

“The victim only realised he had been scammed after not receiving any returns from the investment,” he said.

In the Miri case, Mancha said the victim was contacted in September by a suspect claiming to be a representative from the multimedia and communication unit.

“The victim was told by the suspect that her phone number had been used for illegal gambling operations in Kuching and was instructed to contact an individual who claimed to be a police officer.

“The deceived victim then made several transactions amounting to RM200,000 to a bank account number given by the suspect to avoid being arrested.”

He advised the public not to entertain calls or text messages from unknown individuals and not to make any transactions to anyone they do not know.

The public is also advised to only invest on platforms registered with Bank Negara Malaysia and the Securities Commission Malaysia.

“The public should also obtain financial advice only from a registered agent regarding any investment.

Additionally, Mancha warned against trusting investments that offer huge profits in a short period of time.