SIBU: A beautician in her thirties fell victim to a Bitcoin investment scam, losing RM120,000 of her savings in the process.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Mancha Ata disclosed that the victim reported the incident yesterday (Nov 17), stating that she was contacted by a person named Vincent via WhatsApp.
“The suspect offered her an investment by purchasing a digital currency known as ‘bitcoin’ amounting to RM10,000 with a promising double return of RM20,000,” he said in a statement today (Nov 18).
Trusting the offer, the victim transferred RM120,000 across 12 transactions to five different accounts on November 16.
“The victim realised she had been deceived when she could not withdraw the invested amount along with the promised profits,” Mancha added.
The police are investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
The public are advised to be wary of investment schemes that promise lucrative profits.
“As a preventive measure, the police would like to advise the public not to be easily deceived and only make ‘ONLINE’ purchase transactions only through legitimate sales platforms to ensure that your rights as a buyer are always protected.
“Do not easily make payments into a Bank account in the name of a different individual than the seller,” he added.
Further information can be referred to the National Scam Response Center (NSC) at 997 and follow the Facebook page @CyberCrimeAlertMP @JSJKPDRM.
The public can also check bank account verification and suspicious phone numbers through the website http://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule/
