MIRI: A 50-year-old retiree here has fallen victim to a sophisticated scam involving a non-existent investment platform, resulting in losses amounting to RM586,450.
The victim was lured into the fraudulent scheme after receiving a WhatsApp message from an unknown sender, purporting to represent an entity known as the EVR Investment Academy.
The sender invited the victim to join a series of virtual stock market briefings held nightly from Sunday to Thursday, conducted via Zoom.
Participants were encouraged to download and use a trading platform named QC Secure, which was presented as a Direct Market Access (DMA) account with supposed special privileges.
It was through this bogus platform that the victim was persuaded to invest in fake instruments labelled ‘Al Palsu’ and ‘QTI Luxaigo’.
Further investigation by the victim revealed that neither the PJT Investment Academy nor the Boom S Trading Platform, names heavily used throughout the scam, actually existed.
By the time the ruse was uncovered, the victim had already transferred over half a million ringgit to the fraudsters.
Miri District Police Chief, ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah, confirmed the report was filed on May 2, and that investigations are ongoing under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
If convicted, the perpetrators face a jail term of one to ten years, whipping, and a fine.
Authorities continue to urge the public to exercise caution when approached with unsolicited investment offers, especially those facilitated through messaging platforms and unverified applications.
