By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 1: The Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) has successfully dismantled three online scam syndicates operating as calling centres in the districts of Miri and Sibu, with a total of 18 suspects arrested and charged for their involvement in illicit online scams and fraudulent money transfers.
Sarawak Police Commissioner Dato Mancha Ata said the syndicates were uncovered during operations conducted in the first half of 2025, with investigations revealing their modus operandi involved impersonating authorities and financial institutions to deceive victims into transferring money into mule accounts.
“These suspects possessed ATM cards belonging to third parties which were used as mule accounts to facilitate illicit fund transfers,” he said in a statement after a press conference at the Kuching Police Headquarters today.
All 18 individuals have since been brought to court and charged under Section 424A of the Penal Code for possession or control of payment instruments or accounts, and Section 120B of the Penal Code for criminal conspiracy.
In a separate operation, Sarawak CCID also apprehended four suspects linked to a fake gold investment scam in Miri.
Meanwhile, seven other individuals were arrested in Padawan for their involvement in a QR code scam using forged payment receipts.
All of the suspects in the two cases above have been charged under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
Mancha urged the public to remain vigilant and to verify any suspicious financial offers, stressing that public awareness and quick reporting are vital in helping authorities curb such crimes.
“Public awareness is key to breaking the scam chain. With proactive enforcement and heightened public awareness, we aim to reduce scam-related crimes and protect the public from millions in financial losses,” he added.
The police revealed that a combination of ignorance, emotional manipulation, and misplaced trust are among the primary reasons members of the public continue to fall prey to online scams and fraudulent schemes.
According to case analyses conducted by the police, scammers exploit common human behaviours and weaknesses to deceive victims, leading to significant financial losses.
The main factors identified include lack of knowledge about scammers’ modus operandi, desire for quick profits, fear and panic, failure to very information and shame and fear of reporting.
To counter this growing threat, he urged the public to stay informed of scam tactics and share this knowledge with others, beware of too-good-to-be-true offers, and never share personal information including banking credentials, passwords or one-time passwords with anyone even if they claim to be from legitimate organisations.
“Verify first such as using official CCID’s Semak Mule portal at http://semakmule.rmp.gov.my to check if a bank account or phone number has been flagged for suspicious activity, avoid suspicious downloads and links and use a call identification apps like Whoscall,” he advised.
Mancha also reminded the public that the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) hotline 997 operates 24/7 and can be contacted immediately if individuals suspect they have fallen victim to a scam.
“NSRC acts as a one-stop emergency centre, helping online scam victims take swift action to block transactions and reduce losses,” he said. — DayakDaily
