A 54-year-old vegetable trader from Tepoh, Kuala Nerus, in Kuala Terengganu was scammed out of RM214,700 after falling for a fraudulent investment scheme advertised on Facebook.
Kuala Terengganu OCPD Asst Comm said the victim first encountered the advertisement on Dec 11 last year and contacted a man named Zulfikar via WhatsApp for more details.
She was later referred to another woman who provided further explanations about the scheme.
"The victim was promised a profit of RM30,000 within three to six hours with an initial investment of just RM500. Enticed by the high returns, she proceeded with the investment as instructed," said the OCPD when contacted on Thursday (Jan 30).
However, after a few hours, she was asked to make additional payments to withdraw her supposed profits. Over time, she made 42 transactions to 16 different accounts, using her savings and proceeds from pawning her jewellery.
When the promised returns never materialized, the woman realized she had been deceived and lodged a police report at 7.24pm on Wednesday (Jan 29).
The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
