Beauty influencer fined after facing jail time for faking her attempted kidnapping from shopping centre

The 45-year-old woman known as Amyra Laila Ho or Venus Ho, who is a social media influencer and creator known for posting beauty-based content, is under state police custody, was charged with filing a false police report at the local magistrate’s court yesterday (Tuesday January 28), according to Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar.

She was charged under Section 182 of the Penal Code for providing false information with intent to cause a public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of others,” Kumar said in a statement. Section 182 of the Penal Code provides for a jail term of up to six months, or a fine up to RM2,000 (around £370), or both if convicted.

Ho pleaded guilty to providing false information to a police officer and was fined RM1,000 (around £180), which she immediately paid, Singaporean and Malaysian media said.

The attempted kidnapping report was filed on Wednesday (January 22) by Ho, who alleged that she was “nearly abducted and kidnapped” after a tea sampling at the KSL shopping mall, in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. Ho had previously posted a video online cautioning others after her alleged ordeal on Tuesday January 14.

Kumar said that in the report Ho filed, she claimed she was approached by a couple who wanted to promote tea in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration.

“The woman alleged that she was forced by the couple to inhale the tea that they were promoting, causing her to feel dizzy and lose consciousness. However, police investigations found that the attempted abduction did not occur based on close circuit television (CCTV) footage and technical evidence pointing to the lack of movement at the scene,” he explained.

Kumar added that the unconfirmed abduction incident had led to negativity levelled towards the area of Johor after it was widely circulated on several social media platforms. As some members of the public believed that the incident had actually occurred they believed there was an issue of safety in Johor.

The police chief gave reassurance that this was not the case. “The Johor police assure that the issue of safety and security involving public order in the state is under control. The police are constantly monitoring the security aspects in the state.”

Kumar also warned, however, that strict action will be taken against any individuals who deliberately threaten the safety of others. “This includes spreading unverified rumours or manipulating facts with the aim of causing social unrest,” he said. “I want to also remind the public to check and verify the authenticity of any information on social media first,” he added.

Ho's post where she detailed the alleged abduction attempt also appears to have been taken down from her Instagram account, which is under the name Venus Ho.