Victims urged to lodge reports against scams

PETALING JAYA: Investors who believe they have fallen prey to dubious schemes are urged to make a police report.

The advice from MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong came following reports of the RM500mil loss said to have been incurred by the Penang-based forex trading company, JJPTR, after its accounts were allegedly hacked.

On Sunday, founder Johnson Lee had on Facebook urged its investors, many of them from the northern states, not to lodge police reports against the scheme because there is still “some money in the account”.

Chong said people behind such schemes would usually advise their investors to do so to prevent the authorities from investigating them.

“Initially, many people who lost money in such scams would want to lodge police reports but later, they would be stopped from doing so or threatened by other investors who didn’t want to ‘lose’ their money. But please lodge police reports,” he said.

Despite highlighting numerous such complaints every month, Chong said he was perplexed to see people keep investing in dodgy schemes.

“The last victim who came to see me said he regretted being so greedy. He had also got many of his relatives and friends to join the scheme to earn himself a higher commission.

“Now, everyone is asking him for their money back. He has run away, leaving his family behind,” he said. Based on Chong’s experience, such is the fate of many who have been lured by quick money.

Direct Selling Association of Malaysia ( DSAM) president Frederick Ng said supporters were usually manipulated to believe that the authorities were trying to ruin their business.

“They were also led to believe that they would get their money back,” he said.

Ng warned that certain money games are illegal under the Direct Sales and Anti-Pyramid Scheme Act and offenders face up to RM10mil in fine or five years’ jail.

Like Chong, Ng urged victims to lodge a police report.

They can also contact DSAM at 03-7726 9232 and the association will help them get in touch with the Bukit Aman Commercial Crimes Investigation Department.