KUALA TERENGGANU: Cryptocurrency investment fraud is the latest trend in commercial crime, with professionals and senior citizens increasingly falling victim to these scams, says Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) Director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf.
He said senior citizens, especially those aged 60 and above, should be cautious and not rush into cryptocurrency investments.
“Some use life savings and even borrow money to invest because they are attracted to the promise of high returns.”
He cited a recent case in which a 74-year-old lost tens of millions of ringgit after being deceived by a scam.
“Some believe that since a single cryptocurrency coin can be worth RM400,000, buying three or four would yield greater returns. However, in reality, no investment is made, it’s a scam. Yet, people still fall for it,” he told reporters after opening the Kuala Terengganu district police headquarters, here yesterday.
Ramli said phone scams are the second most common commercial crime, often targeting senior citizens.
“Victims not only suffer financial losses but can also experience significant mental distress, all from a phone call lasting just minutes,” Ramli added.
Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf
He said legitimate authorities such as the Royal Malaysia Police, the Inland Revenue Board and Bank Negara do not operate through continuous, multi-step phone calls as scam syndicates do, Bernama reported.
“Let me remind everyone, there is no such thing as a call that starts with a courier company, then connects to the police, the bank and the audit department, all in one conversation, yet, people still believe.
“As law-abiding citizens, do not be afraid and don’t fall for these scams, you could end up losing millions.”
He said commercial crimes continue to rise annually and attributed the surge to rapid technological advancements, noting that many of these crimes are cyber-enabled or cyber-dependent, making them more sophisticated than conventional physical crimes.
He said that commercial crimes are also more prevalent in highly populated states such as Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Penang, with most operations conducted from rented or purchased luxury condominiums.
The CCID carried out 23,000 arrests involving syndicates last year, he said, describing it as a significant achievement by the department.
The Kuala Terengganu district police headquarters covers some 2ha, and it shares the area with the state contingent police headquarters.
The district police headquarters was gazetted in July 26, 1956, and underwent renovations in September 2005.