More than 50 allegedly duped in royal-link property scam, losses exceed millions

More than 50 individuals are believed to have fallen victim to a multimillion-ringgit scam involving purportedly royal-linked property offers, according to police reports. Actor Dwan Hamid, also known as Muhammad Ridzuan Shahul Hamid, reportedly lost RM30,000 after meeting a man who claimed to have connections with Selangor royalty and its aide-de-camp.

Dwan initially believed the man's photographs showing him with members of the royal household and the aide-de-camp, which the scammer used to lend credibility to the offer of below-market-price houses and cars. The suspect allegedly offered houses in Setapak for RM115,000 each, claiming there were special allocations of 20 to 30 units associated with the royal household.

Buyers were required to pay a deposit of RM15,000 per unit. Dwan said he paid RM30,000 in deposits for two units but never received updates or could get a refund. He later discovered that others, including his cousin, had also suffered losses from the scam. More than 50 people may have been affected, with reported losses ranging from RM13,000 to RM7 million, coming from various states including Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan, Perlis, Kedah, and Perak.

Some victims reportedly faced threats for speaking out. The case has prompted police to open two investigation papers under Section 420 of the Penal Code, which pertains to cheating.