Title: “Record-Breaking Online Fraud Cases in Malaysia: RM1.3 Billion in Losses in 11 Months”

Kuala Lumpur sees a surge in online fraud cases with staggering losses

From January to November 2022, Malaysia recorded a total of 32,462 cases of online fraud, resulting in RM1.3 billion in financial losses, according to the police. This represents a 37.5% increase over the 23,608 cases reported in the same period the previous year.

Types and financial impact of online fraud in Malaysia

The following is a breakdown of the different types of online fraud and their financial impact on Malaysians:

E-commerce crime: The most common form of online fraud, with 10,993 cases reported, resulting in losses of RM382 million.
Telecommunications crime: 9,526 cases cost RM327.9 million in losses.
Non-existent investment schemes: 5,036 cases caused the most significant financial losses, totaling RM421 million.
Non-existent loans: 4,018 cases resulted in losses of RM38.5 million.
E-financial crime: 2,006 cases led to losses of RM103.6 million.
Love scams: 883 cases had losses of RM40.9 million.

The total amount of money lost to these fraudulent schemes increased by 33%, rising from RM771.1 million in the same period last year.

Police collaboration with Whoscall Malaysia to combat online fraud

Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, the director of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department at Bukit Aman, expressed concern over these alarming numbers during the launch of the Scam Free Malaysia Carnival at Pavilion Bukit Jalil. As part of efforts to combat this trend, the police have been collaborating with Whoscall Malaysia, a mobile application developed by Gogolook. The app’s caller identification services aim to help users identify suspicious calls, reducing the risk of falling victim to scams. Since the collaboration began in January 2022, there has been a 50% drop in the number of answered calls—from 66,810 to 34,996.

Raising public awareness and seeking assistance

The Scam Free Malaysia Carnival was organized to raise public awareness on the various types of commercial crimes. Attendees were urged to exercise caution when engaging in online transactions and to seek assistance from law enforcement if they detect any suspicious activities.