Fake Sports Branding Scam: Kampar Retiree Duped of RM150,000 in Fraudulent Telegram Scheme

IPOH, July 19 — A 67-year-old senior citizen has lost a staggering RM150,000 in life savings after falling victim to a highly sophisticated online investment scam. The fraudulent syndicate operating the scheme illegally leveraged the brand identity and global reputation of a well-known international sports company to lure unsuspecting investors.

Kampar District Police Chief Supt Mohamad Nazri Daud confirmed the ongoing investigation during a media briefing today. He stated that the local retiree officially lodged a criminal complaint yesterday after finally discovering that he had been completely deceived by the digital operators.

According to initial commercial crime division intelligence, the scam began at the end of September last year. The victim came across an attractive investment link embedded within a mainstream social media advertisement. Upon interacting with the link, he was automatically migrated into a closed Telegram chat group managed by the suspects.

“The complainant was attracted by advertisements from the suspect promising lucrative monthly returns. He then made several money transfers to join the investment,” Mohamad Nazri explained in an official statement.

The systematic drainage of the victim’s funds occurred over a ten-month period. Between September and June, the elderly investor executed multiple digital money transactions totalling RM130,000 into a series of personal bank accounts explicitly provided by the syndicate handlers.

The financial exploitation intensified early this month when the retiree attempted to cash out his accumulated capital and promised dividends. Instead of executing the payout, the suspect instructed the victim to transfer an additional RM20,000 under the guise of administrative withdrawal fees.

The complainant’s suspicions were triggered when the chat administrators repeatedly demanded further secondary payments to release the capital while failing to deliver any of the initial high-yield returns.

Realizing the structural fraud, the senior citizen terminated communications and went to the local station. Supt Mohamad Nazri added that federal investigators have officially classified the case and are pursuing leads under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, a charge that carries severe imprisonment terms and mandatory whipping upon conviction.

-NMT