Sibu retiree loses nearly RM90,000 in gemstone investment scam

SIBU (March 13): A retiree’s attempt to boost her savings turned into a nightmare after she fell victim to a gemstone investment scam operated through the e-commerce platform Shopee and messaging app WeChat, suffering losses amounting to nearly RM90,000.

The case was revealed by Sarawak chapter chairman of the Majlis Tindakan Pengguna Negara (MTPN), Lucas Lau, after the distressed victim recently sought assistance from the council.

According to Lau, scammers today employ increasingly subtle tactics, often starting with offers of “free gifts” on legitimate platforms before luring victims into bogus investment schemes promising quick and lucrative returns.

The victim first encountered an advertisement on Shopee offering a lucky draw entry in exchange for answering simple questions.

She was later informed she had “won” a piece of genuine jade and was instructed to switch communication to WeChat to supposedly provide her delivery address.

Once on WeChat, she was directed to a livestream showcasing foreign gemstone trading activities. After watching the stream for several days, she was convinced to invest in uncut gemstones with the promise of high profits.

Over the span of a month, she made 14 bank transfers to 13 different accounts before realising she had been duped.

Lau said the scammers’ actions constitute a serious offence under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property, which carries a penalty of up to ten years’ imprisonment, whipping and a fine.

He added that the case also falls under the Consumer Protection Act 1999 for misleading commercial practices, as well as the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) due to the use of mule accounts to channel illicit proceeds.

Lau warned the public not to trust any supposed contest winnings or “gifts” that require money transfers or the clicking of suspicious links.

He urged consumers not to bank in money to unknown personal accounts, particularly when transactions are moved outside the original platform such as Shopee to private channels like WeChat or WhatsApp.

He reminded victims of online scams to immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 so authorities can attempt to halt the outflow of funds.

The public is also advised to check suspicious bank accounts via the Semak Mule portal and to always remember that if an offer appears too good to be true, it likely is a trap set by scammers.