Malaysians Lost Over RM1.6 Billion To Online Scams Since 2019

Between 2019 to 2021, Malaysians reported losses of more than RM1.6 billion through online fraud. Within the two-year period, there were 51,631 cases where individuals were scammed out of their money online according to Home Affairs Deputy Minister II, Jonathan Yasin.

In response to the question from the MP of Kampar, Thomas Su, the minister said that online purchases made up the highest numbers with 18,857 cases, followed by 15,546 non-existent loans. Yasin said that the police are carrying out various efforts to combat scam syndicates, including stepping up law enforcement, operations, and charging against those involved.

Furthermore, Yasin clarified that the police are currently reviewing existing laws such as the Consumer Protection Act 2007 to make sure they are relevant to current issues and are able to curb all types of crimes. Last year, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) had established a one-stop centre under the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) called the CCID Scam Response Centre in which members of the public can call directly to obtain information and validate calls for doubtful transactions.

Aside from that, the public can utilise the CCID website and app to check if a bank account or phone number has been flagged for fraud. However, the mobile app is only available for Android at the moment.

(Source: Parlimen Malaysia/YouTube.)