JOHOR BARU: An elderly accountant suffered losses of more than RM2.2 million after falling victim to an investment scam.
Johor police chief Commissioner M Kumar, said the 75-year-old man lodged a police report yesterday after believing he had been cheated of RM2,276,000.
"According to the victim, on Dec 19 last year, while at home, the victim received a message through the WhatsApp application that advertised an investment in the purchase of shares.
"The message explained how to invest and promised lucrative profits, easily and in a short time.
"Attracted by the promised profit, the victim followed the suspect's instructions by downloading the application instructed and registering an account on the application to monitor his investment," he said in a media statement today.
He said the victim then started investing last May and June by depositing money into several bank accounts on the suspect's instructions, amounting to RM2,276,000.
He said the victim looked at his investment status on the given application and found that he had recorded a profit amounting to RM12.9 million.
"Excited by the profit displayed, the victim decided to withdraw the profit money obtained.
"However, the suspect ordered the victim to pay a commission amounting to RM1.6 million and the victim did not make the payment because he suspected he was being cheated," he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
