Former Marketing Executive Loses Nearly RM20,000 Due to Social Media Influence – A Cautionary Tale

Former marketing executive loses nearly RM20,000 in gold investment scheme influenced by social media friend

Shah Alam – A former marketing executive of a private company, known as Marlia, has revealed that she suffered losses of almost RM20,000 after being influenced by the luxurious lifestyle of a friend on social media.

Marlia, who met her acquaintance Shila during her university days, was lured into a gold investment scheme after being impressed by Shila’s high-income lifestyle showcased on social media.

After commenting on Shila’s Facebook post about job opportunities to increase her income, Marlia was contacted by Shila, who invited her to join a gold investment scheme promising substantial returns.

Without much thought, Marlia used her emergency savings to invest in the scheme based on the success stories shared by Shila’s clients. Initially, she managed to earn returns of thousands of ringgit.

However, Marlia soon realized that the investment platform was no longer accessible, and Shila had disappeared, leaving her unable to withdraw her funds.

Despite the setback, Marlia has chosen not to file a police report, accepting her mistake and considering it a valuable lesson in life. She is now forced to do part-time jobs and borrow money from friends and family to make ends meet.

The modus operandi of gold investment schemes includes Ponzi schemes, digital investment scams, fake commodity schemes, selling gold without physical possession, and pyramid schemes, all of which promise high returns but result in investors losing their funds.

Marlia’s story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of being influenced by others’ lifestyles on social media and the importance of conducting thorough research before investing money.