Batu Pahat district police chief Ismail Dollah said the 54-year-old woman claimed to have communicated with a woman from China via WhatsApp after clicking on a Facebook link promoting the investment offer in October last year.

The victim was then told to download an application and provide her details, such as name, IC number and bank information, for registration purposes.

“The victim then deposited a total of RM314,000 to three different company bank accounts in stages.

“Upon checking the application, the victim found that she had gained a profit of RM2.03 million. However, she was asked to pay RM240,000 if she wanted to withdraw the funds,” he said in a statement today.

Ismail said the victim claimed she had not received the profits she made because the woman in China then claimed that the victim’s account was involved in a money laundering case, thus preventing the withdrawal of the profits.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.