Female entrepreneur loses RM44,000 in get-rich-quick scheme

KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 (Bernama) -- Lured by a luxury travel package to Cambodia and special services for four days including being accompanied by a so-called ‘General’ from the country, a female entrepreneur lost more than RM44,000 in a get-rich-quick scheme.

The victim, who wanted to be known as Zana, 51, was among dozens of victims who fell prey to the investment scheme, said she had heard about the investment through an agent introduced by her friend’s acquaintance.

“The tactics they use are very cunning because they do not use any social media platform, instead they operate through a network of contacts that is ‘a friend of a friend’.

“This includes being taken to Cambodia on a holiday by the so-called investor, ostensibly to see for oneself the real estate project including gold-related investments and private company’s equity developed there besides being presented with branded phones,” she said at a press conference at the office of the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM)  here today.

Zana said,  they were accompanied by an individual with the rank of ‘General’ on their visit to the country and even their vehicle was escorted by a police motorcade.

“Of course anyone would be attracted by such services until we became very confidant with the investment scheme that promised lucrative returns,” she said.

 Zana explained that the minimum investment was RM4,500 or a star, up to 10 stars, with returns of 10 per cent on the investment received each month.

“However, we failed to get the money back after three months of becoming ‘members’. The person responsible could not be contacted,” said Zana, who had invested RM44,000.

Meanwhile, PPIM president Datuk Nadzim Johan said the investment syndicate allegedly    masterminded by a ‘Datuk’ had now resulted in RM1.5 million in losses involving 60 victims, mostly from Sabah and Sarawak.

"The syndicate operating since 2016 targets the working group, aged between 35 and 60. We are worried that the investment syndicate was until today still actively advertising the scheme, deceiving more new victims,” he said.

-- BERNAMA