GEORGE TOWN: Controversial financial scheme operator JJPTR is seeking professional help over the purported hacking job that resulted in the Penang-based company losing RM500mil.

Its founder Johnson Lee (pic), in a video posting believed to be him on JJPTR Malaysia Facebook page, said he would seek IT experts to investigate the matter.

The latest posting which was uploaded yesterday saw Lee saying he is still in Malaysia.

“I want to tell everybody that I’m still in Malaysia. I did not run.

“Most importantly, I want to tell everyone that we will still be using the name and logo of JJPTR,” Lee said in Mandarin.

He also reassured his investors that they would not suffer losses in the scheme.

“I will definitely return the money to all of you. All of you do not have to worry. I appreciate all the support,” he said.

The company came into the spotlight recently after it claimed its accounts had been hacked, resulting in potential losses of a whopping RM500mil.

Lee, on Tuesday, carried out damage control by claiming that he will come out with a “very good” new plan within the next few days.

He said the company was currently drafting a new scheme which he hoped to unveil by May 1.

It was reported in The Star that tens of thousands of investors from all over the world, including Canada, the United States and China, stand to lose RM500mil in the reported collapse of JJPTR.

For the past week, there has been intense talk online about the hacking job and the RM500mil in losses, but in his recording Lee put the figure at US$400mil (RM1.75bil).

A 14-minute video recording, believed to be that of Lee holding a meeting with his agents on Tuesday night, has been widely circulated in messaging apps.

A Chinese daily also reported that Lee would hold a press conference at a later time.

Meanwhile, a check at the JJPTR office in Perak Road here showed it was business as usual, where a handful of members could be seen making enquiries over the scheme.

Penang Commercial Crimes Investigation Department chief Asst Comm Abdul Ghani Ahmad said they had not received any police reports over the matter.

He said Bank Negara would be the “best body” to investigate the incident.

The initials of JJPTR not only represent Jie Jiu Pu Tong Ren in Chinese (salvation for the common people) but are also linked to one of its associate companies, JJ Poor to Rich.

JJPTR, JJ Poor to Rich and JJ Global Network are the three forex trading entities listed on the website www.jjptr.com.

The companies are among the 288 entities and individuals listed on Bank Negara’s Finan­cial Consumer Alert as of Feb 24.