PETALING JAYA: The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has alerted the public on a new investment scam, involving a cloned version of the SC’s Public Register of License Holders and Registered Persons.

In a statement today, the SC said this method of deceiving investors sees scammers falsely claiming to represent entities purportedly licensed by the commission.

“To support these false claims, potential victims are directed to a fraudulent website that mimics the SC’s official Public Register portal. Upon entering the name of the fake entity into this cloned site, the search result will show that the fake entity is legitimately licensed by the SC. The fake listing includes fabricated company registration numbers, license details, and other fictitious credentials,” it added.

The SC said victims are persuaded to transfer funds into mule bank accounts allegedly for the purpose of investing.

Since the discovery of this new investment scam, the SC has taken immediate steps to bring down the identified cloned websites.

Notwithstanding, the SC has urged the public to be alert and never click on random links received from unknown sources. Investors should only use SC’s official Public Register directly at www.sc.com.my to verify the legitimacy of an entity.

Investors are also reminded to avoid transferring funds into bank accounts of suspicious entities, which may possibly be mule accounts used by scammers.

Investors who have any doubts or come across suspicious websites or investment schemes can contact the SC’s consumer and investor office at 03-6204 8999 or email [email protected].