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A 49-year-old former businesswoman lost over RM157,000 after being allegedly cheated by a consultant from a non-governmental organisation (NGO)
The victim, known only as Siti, claimed the consultant posed as a police officer. She is now in emotional distress after selling her family business to fund the supposed settlement.
According to Berita Harian, the individual promised to settle her ah long (loan shark) debts but allegedly pocketed the funds instead.
"I am one of the victims cheated by the consultant managing the loan payments," she said at a Malaysian International Humanitarian Organisation (MHO) press conference yesterday, 3 March.
Siti, who has over 20 years' experience in the oil and gas industry, said her family business is now gone. The business had been left to her by her late father.
She originally borrowed RM25,000 for her business but fell into a "trap" of overlapping loans.
After receiving threats, she sought help from the consultant, who initially charged her a registration fee of RM480.
She reportedly paid the consultant RM234,000 to clear her debts. However, RM157,690 remains missing.
Payments were made between early last year and August 2025. Siti later discovered that only a portion of the money actually reached the moneylenders.
Siti believes the funds were used for the consultant's personal gain, adding that she was never shown proof of the alleged "frozen accounts", which were cited as the reason the money could not be returned.
"I just want justice and hope the consultant resolves this amicably," she added.
MHO Secretary-General Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim warned the public to be cautious of suspicious loan schemes. He urged people to verify the backgrounds of any intermediaries.
"We request the cooperation of the police to conduct a thorough investigation," Hishamuddin said, emphasising that swift action is needed to prevent similar incidents.
