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Miri woman loses RM1.39m after clicking fake cake ad on social media

Published July 16, 2026 at 11:32 PM UTC

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A 43-year-old woman in Miri has lost RM1,389,132 after falling victim to a sophisticated social media scam. The incident began when the victim clicked on an online advertisement for cakes, which prompted her to follow a link to place an order. Immediately after interacting with the link, her mobile phone screen went blank and became unresponsive, signaling that malicious software had likely been installed on her device. By the time she contacted her bank the following morning, she discovered that 19 unauthorized fund transfers had been siphoned from two of her company bank accounts to 15 different third-party accounts. Miri police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah confirmed that the Commercial Crime Investigation Department is currently investigating the case under the Computer Crimes Act 1997. This law addresses unauthorized access to computer systems with the intent to commit further offenses, carrying penalties that include significant fines and imprisonment. Authorities are using this case to remind the public about the dangers of clicking unverified links on social media platforms, which can grant attackers remote access to sensitive banking information. Residents are encouraged to utilize the National Scam Response Centre by dialing 997 if they suspect they have been targeted or have transferred money to a fraudulent account. Additionally, the Semak Mule platform remains a vital resource for verifying bank account numbers and phone numbers before proceeding with any financial transactions.