Malaysians lost millions to online scam, says paper

arno

US-based 'buy-e-barrel' scheme ends abruptly; securities watchdog issues alert over more than 50 websites

Apr 22, 2007
The Straits Times
PENANG - THE Malaysian government is considering cracking down on online scams, after thousands of Malaysians were believed to have lost several million ringgit in an 'investment' scheme known as buy-e-barrel. There is no short cut to wealth, not even via the Internet, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said, urging the public not to put their earnings and savings in cyber get-rich-quick schemes. The Star newspaper reported yesterday that buy-e-barrel investors have been unable to log on to their online accounts over the past two weeks. An investor, who declined to be named, said he managed to 'escape' before the United States-based scheme was terminated abruptly. 'I made a few thousand ringgit from the scheme, which offered daily interest of between 2 per cent and 3 per cent for an investment of between US$100 (S$150) and US$2,000,' he said. The scheme offers online investors generous payouts within a short time by claiming to be able to grow their money through international oil and currency trading investments worldwide. To join the scheme, investors deposit their money in a MayBank account set up by the company. They then send an SMS to the company for their accounts to be activated. The investor said he believed that many of those who lost their money were civil servants, adding that they took part in the scheme when the deposits had grown to a sizeable amount. George Town senior police officer Azam Abd Hamid said the police were aware of such a scheme but had yet to receive any report from those who had lost money. He advised victims to lodge police reports if they have been cheated so that the case could be investigated. The Securities Commission (SC) has issued an alert over more than 50 websites which promise quick returns with minimum investments and urged the public not to invest in them. 'These websites are not authorised or approved under the country's securities laws to deal in securities or whatever investments,' Mr Azam said. A check by The Star found that buy-e-barrel was among the websites on the SC list. The commission recently froze two bank accounts with RM1.6 million (S$706,000) in them and closed two websites said to be connected to a global Internet investment scam run by Cambridge Capital Trading. Last week, the National Fatwa Council passed a fatwa forbidding Muslims from investing in shares over the Internet. It said that such Internet schemes, which pay interest and guarantee a steady profit, are banned under syariah law. Datuk Seri Najib has likened the online scams to those that took place some years ago. He cited a case in 1992, when Osman Hamzah, a director and shareholder of Pestama Bhd, operated an illegal investment scheme that caused many people to lose money.  The Star/Asia News Network

http://news.asiaone.com.sg/st/st_20070422_113042.html

well.. someone lose money and someone make a lot of money from this scheme.  This is money game! No one lodge report to police because those involved are understand the "rule" of such game.  Without this game, then you gotto work hard,accumulate you wealth from low salary (ringgit), thinking "sedikit jadi bukit"....you wait long long and live within your mean.  There is demand, there would have supply

arno

原帖由 roden 于 24-4-2007 05:20 PM 发表
well.. someone lose money and someone make a lot of money from this scheme.  This is money game! No one lodge report to police because those involved are understand the "rule" of such g ...

不可以浆说。有人受骗，就应该把骗子绳之以法.