KUCHING: The public should be cautious of and vigilant against investment schemes, said Michael Kong, the special assistant to Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen.
In a Facebook post, Kong stressed the importance of always conducting thorough due diligence and verification procedures to prevent fraudulent schemes.
He said the public should refrain from depositing money into accounts under the guise of investments or asset protection without proper consultation with registered financial advisors or legal professionals.
Kong’s advice comes in light of a recent event where an individual, identified as Bong, sought his assistance yesterday (Mar 7) after falling prey to a scam.
According to him, Bong sought his assistance to verify the identity and credentials of an individual named ‘Mark,’ who claimed to be a lawyer based in Singapore.
Bong had been led to believe that ‘Mark’ could guarantee the recovery of RM60,000 lost in a previous gold investment scheme. In order to facilitate this recovery, he was instructed to open a deposit account on an online platform.
‘Mark’ then insisted that the recovery and refund process for his initial RM60,000 must go through this new account, which required an initial deposit of RM40,500 in order to open the account.
Unaware of the deception, Bong complied with the instructions. However, after making the initial deposit, ‘Mark’ then requested an additional RM120,000 to purportedly make adjustments to the deposit account.
This raised Bong’s suspicion, prompting him to seek Kong’s advice whether to proceed with depositing the additional RM120,000.
However, after conducting thorough checks, it became evident that ‘Mark’ was merely a scammer.
“I promptly informed Bong that he had fallen victim to a scam and advised him to file a police report so that the authorities could investigate the matter.
“This unfortunate incident underscores the pervasive dangers lurking on the internet, where scammers prey on unsuspecting victims. It serves as a cautionary tale for all members of the public,” said Kong.
He said no one should trust individuals solely based on their claims of being professionals or government officers.
