RM485,000 Gone Via An Instagram Ad That Led to 4 Transfers

A 48 year old woman from Miri, Sarawak, has lost RM485,832 after being deceived by a fraudulent online investment scheme that first caught her attention through an advertisement on Instagram. The case, reported to police on April 22, reveals how social media advertising has become a primary vehicle through which scam syndicates recruit their victims.

Miri OCPD Asst Comm Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the victim came across what appeared to be a legitimate investment promotion on Instagram and subsequently reached out to an individual operating under the name “Han Zhi Hai” via an international phone number. From there, she was drawn into a scheme that promised high returns over a short period, the classic hallmark of investment fraud designed to override caution with the prospect of fast profits.

Acting on the instructions she was given, the victim proceeded to make 14 separate bank transfers to 12 different accounts over the course of her involvement, ultimately parting with close to half a million ringgit. The sheer number of accounts used to receive the payments is a deliberate tactic, making it harder for authorities to trace the money and reducing the likelihood that any single transaction triggers a fraud alert.

It was only when the promised profits failed to appear and the victim was repeatedly given excuses for the delays that she began to suspect the scheme was not legitimate. Realising she had been defrauded, she lodged a police report and the case is now under investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, an offence carrying a jail term of between one and ten years, as well as whipping and a fine upon conviction.

This case is one of several recent investment scam incidents reported across Sarawak and highlights the specific danger of paid social media advertising as a fraud recruitment channel. Unlike organic social media posts or messaging app solicitations, ads on platforms like Instagram carry a veneer of legitimacy that can make fraudulent offerings harder to dismiss at first glance. They are also targeted algorithmically, meaning victims may encounter them precisely because they have shown an interest in investment topics.

The consistent patterns across cases like this are instructive. Scammers establish contact, make bold promises of returns, instruct victims to transfer money to multiple accounts, and then string victims along with excuses when withdrawals are requested. By the time the deception is apparent, the funds have often been dispersed across numerous accounts and are extremely difficult to recover.

Financial authorities and law enforcement continue to urge the public to verify any investment opportunity through official channels before committing funds, and to report suspicious contacts or transactions to the National Scam Response Centre at 997 without delay.