KUCHING: The Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) has recently recorded a significant increase in investment scam cases this year.
Police Commissioner Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri said the figure recorded from a period of Jan 1 to May 30, rose to 93 cases this year from 74 cases in 2022.
Losses incurred during the same period also witnessed an alarming increase of RM5.4 million.
“In 2022, the recorded losses amounted to RM2.8 million, whereas this year, the losses skyrocketed to RM8.2 million.
“To combat this growing issue, the Sarawak CCID has been working tirelessly to curb investment scams in the state and their efforts have led to 25 arrests this year, compared to 15 arrests last year in the same period.
“Additionally, a total of 37 cases have been prosecuted in court this year, compared to six cases prosecuted in court last year,” he said.
Expressing concern over the surge in investment scams, Mohd Azman urged the public to exercise caution and not fall victim to fraudulent investment schemes.
He advised the public to be wary of advertisements or offers on social media that promise high profits, particularly when it is from unknown individuals.
“Instead of transferring money or providing banking details to unknown individuals offering lucrative returns, they should seek advice from the nearest police station or bank.
“The public surfing on the internet, especially on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Weibo, WeChat and Twitter are advised to always be aware and not easily fall victim to non-existent investment fraud schemes,” he said.
Individuals are encouraged to contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997 immediately to block any suspicious withdrawals.
Mohd Azman added that the public can also use the Semak Mule portal and website at https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my/ to check suspect’s bank account numbers.
To identify the scammers’ phone numbers, the public can utilise the Whoscall application, which can track incoming calls from numbers listed in the CCID’s system database.
Up-to-date information and advice regarding scam cases can be found on the official portals of the Royal Malaysian Police (https://rmp.gov.my/), the CCID (https://ccid.rmp.gov.my/), and the Sarawak CCID’s Facebook page.
