Water filter salesman loses over RM218,000 in Facebook crypto investment scam

KUANTAN: A 65-year-old water filter salesman lost RM218,239 in savings after being duped by a bogus online cryptocurrency investment scheme in July.

The victim only realised he had been scammed when told to pay an additional RM30,000 in tax to unfreeze his investment account.

Acting Pahang police chief Datuk Azry Akmar Ayob said the victim clicked on an investment advertisement link he spotted on Facebook in July.

"He was then added to a WhatsApp group and promised high returns based on profits displayed on a popular cryptocurrency trading platform.

"The victim made 53 transactions totalling RM218,239 through various accounts to the digital platform. On Aug 20, he was told that his digital account had been frozen and that he had to pay RM30,000," he said in a statement today.

Azry said a family member later alerted the victim that the investment scheme could be fraudulent, prompting him to lodge a police report yesterday.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries a jail term of between one and 10 years, whipping, and a fine upon conviction.

He advised the public to check bank account numbers at https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my before making any transactions.