Kuantan: A private sector employee suffered losses of more than RM600,000 after being deceived by a non-existent stock investment scheme promoted through social media. Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Yahaya Othman shared details about the incident in a statement, highlighting the victim's experience with the fraudulent investment.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the victim, a 57-year-old man, engaged with the suspect via the WhatsApp application after encountering a stock investment advertisement on social media. The advertisement promised lucrative returns, including a guaranteed profit of 30 percent within one month for a minimum capital of RM10,000. The suspect persuaded the victim to download an investment application to further convince him of the scheme's legitimacy.

Through the application, the victim was shown seemingly increasing profits, which totaled approximately RM1,843,765.38, inclusive of investment commissions. However, when the victim attempted to withdraw the invested funds along with the displayed profits, the suspect provided various excuses and demanded additional payments before allowing the withdrawal process to proceed.

Yahaya Othman noted that between January 9 and February 11, the victim made four financial transactions into four different bank accounts. These transactions, funded through personal savings and loans from family members, resulted in total losses amounting to RM636,123.

In light of this incident, Yahaya urged the public to conduct thorough checks and seek early advice from the nearest police station before engaging in any investment activities to avoid falling victim to fraud. He also recommended verifying bank account numbers through the Semak Mule website before executing financial transactions. Victims of scams are advised to contact the National Scam Response Centre at 997 for immediate assistance.