RM1.2bil lost to online fraud this year

New Straits Times

4 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: The total financial loss from online scams in 2025 has reached RM1.2 billion as of June, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said several measures that have been, and are being, taken to curb online fraud, including the enactment of a new bill to combat cybercrime.
"Amendments to the Penal Code have been carried out by the government to address cybercrime, particularly financial fraud involving mule accounts, with additional provisions under several sections.
"The Criminal Procedure Code amendment, meanwhile, granted the police the authority to seize and freeze accounts to block financial transactions.
"The government is reviewing the feasibility of enacting a Cybercrime Bill as part of efforts to combat cybercrime in the country," he said in a parliamentary written reply in response to a question from Yuneswaran Ramaraj (PH-Segamat).
Saifuddin said that the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) has been strengthened and expanded into a 24-hour centre, providing end-to-end services to tackle online scams.
He said that since July 2025, victims can lodge police reports directly via the 997 hotline without needing to visit a police station.
"By September, the NSRC will operate permanently at Menara 2, MCMC Cyberjaya, housing multiple agencies alongside financial institutions and telecom operators.
"The NSRC will be further strengthened through the creation of new positions under various schemes, taking into account the establishment of the 24/7 network function under a single governance entity to meet obligations under the Budapest Convention and the United Nations Convention," he said.
To enhance the capability to tackle cyber threats, special units have been established under the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), including the NSRC, the Cyber Tactical Unit, the Digital Forensic Investigation Unit, and the Police Cyber Investigation Response Centre, he said.