Scam victims face trauma of losses

The Star

a day ago

This visual is human-created, AI-aided.
M'sians whose money vanished also have sleepless nights and trust issues
PETALING JAYA: At 5am on April 1, 2023, Lawrence was jolted awake by a call from an unknown number.
The voice on the line claimed to be from the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), alleging there were irregularities in his taxes.
Within minutes, the officer's tone hardened, telling him that unless he could prove his innocence, police would be sent and legal action taken.
A few days earlier, Lawrence's sister had transferred a large sum to his account for a life insurance payment. Strangely, the caller seemed to know about this transaction. Shaken and afraid, the young professional – who was then less than a year into his first job – complied when asked to provide his online banking user ID and password. Moments later, the balance in his account was 'transferred out for investigation purposes'.
The call was then passed to a man claiming to be a police offi­cer, who sent over a photo ID. The image, Lawrence later discovered through a reverse search, was lifted from an old news report and bore no connection to the name given. Over eight hours, the line shuffled between supposed LHDN staff and police personnel, each reinforcing the elaborate fiction.
When the realisation hit, Law­rence lodged a police report. Two weeks later, he was interviewed by an investigating officer, but he has heard nothing since.
For Nisa (identity withheld for privacy), the trap came wrapped in opportunity.
Two years ago, the administrative assistant saw messages on WhatsApp promising 'easy money' by liking and sharing You­Tube videos. The senders claimed to represent a legitimate-sounding company, and small payments did land in her account after she completed tasks.
Soon, the offer escalated: a group investment scheme in a Telegram chat, filled with glowing success stories. At first, small inv­estments brought small returns. Then came the pressure – warnings that her earlier gains would vanish unless she invested more.
By the time she realised she had lost RM14,000, the so-called 'invest­ment guru' was still urging her to send more to recover her funds. A visit to the company's listed address revealed an empty office. Like Lawrence, she lodged a police report, only to be told little could be done.
They are just two of thousands of Malaysians caught in the web of online scams, which have evolved from crude phishing emails to highly targeted, psychologically-manipulative operations.
Despite record-breaking enfor­cement – 2.1 billion suspicious calls and messages blocked between 2022 and August 2025, and over 112,000 scam posts removed – predators are still finding their way in.
For victims, the losses go beyond money. They carry paranoia, sleepless nights and a shaken trust in the systems meant to protect them – and in a world where a phone call can erase years of savings in hours, that trust is a currency they may never get back.
In July, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo announced that his ministry would present a cybersecurity enforcement strategy to the Cabinet, prepared by Cyber­Secu­rity Malaysia, with a proposal for a dedicated enforcement agency to better implement existing laws.
The plan involves cooperation between the Home Ministry, the Communications Ministry and the Law and Institutional Reform Ministry.
But until that strategy moves from paper to practice, victims like Lawrence and Nisa remain stranded between the moment their money vanished and the day justice finally arrives.