KUALA LUMPUR: Police have arrested 19 people allegedly involved in a fraud syndicate that promised profits of up to 10 per cent of the money invested per week in a raid at a business premises in Jalan Ampang on March 25.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said the suspects were four local men, four local women, six men and five women from China aged between 22 and 55.
He said the police had received a complaint from a Taiwanese man who claimed he was cheated in a business scam on March 25.
According to the victim, he was invited by a friend (via WeChat) to participate in a business scheme to buy and sell goods online through Amazon Joint Operation Company in January this year. The victim was convinced that the company was a branch of Amazon in the United States.
“Deceived by the offer, the complainant transferred USDT70,000 (RM331,000.00) to the e-wallet account. However, after the money was transferred, the victim did not receive any of the promised profits,“ he said at the CCID’s weekly press conference today.
The police also confiscated eight laptops, three notepads, two computers, 31 mobile phones, a modem and a router, an access card, a Bentley and RM23,400 in cash.
Ramli said all of them have been remanded until Friday and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.
Meanwhile, the police also arrested seven people, aged 19 to 36, including a local man and woman and five men from China in a raid on an online investment fraud syndicate Non Fungible Token (NFT) at a residential premises on Jalan Pinang, on March 25.
Ramli said the police seized four laptops, an iPad, seven mobile phones, a modem, a router, a house access card and a house key.
“Investigations revealed that this syndicate has been operating in the unit for about a month and is suspected to be involved in online NFT investment scams through platforms X and Discord, targeting Chinese nationals.
“This syndicate operates as Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) in NFT trading and uses e-wallet numbers to profit through platforms X and Discord,” he said.
All seven suspects have been remanded until Friday. -Bernama
