KUCHING: A local engineer in his early 30s here was tricked into an online investment scam through the Yomaex platform, losing a total of RM182,000.
The Sarawak Police Commissioner, Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri, said today that the man had first connected with someone named ‘Lucky’ on Facebook in May 2023.
“The suspect later introduced cryptocurrency investment to him, and the victim’s phone number was added to a WhatsApp group.
“Subsequently, the victim was added to a WhatsApp group where he communicated with a man, Mr. Lim. Mr. Lim introduced himself as the manager of the Yomaex platform. He persuaded the victim that the investment would focus on the American cryptocurrency market.
“Trusting the setup, the victim made nine separate online transfers, amounting to around RM182,000, to various bank accounts given by Mr. Lim between mid-August and September 2023,” he said.
The victim mentioned he handled all his cryptocurrency trades. He saw profits but they were only credited to his Yomaex account, amounting to a mere RM4,524 in returns.
By early October 2023, when the victim tried to withdraw USD375,763 from his Yomaex account, he was told he needed to pay an additional 5 per cent of the total sum to process the withdrawal. It was then that he realised he had been scammed and reported the matter to the police.
“The total money lost by the victim is around RM182,000,” said Mohd Azman.
The police are investigating the case under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which relates to cheating. If found guilty, the offender could face a jail term ranging from one to ten years, a possible caning, and a potential fine.
