Malaysian police arrest 155 suspects in scam call centers
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — The Kuala Lumpur police recently arrested 155 suspects, including 43 foreigners, during raids on eight suspected scam call centers in the city.
Police Chief Datuk Allaudeen Abdul Majid stated that the operations spanned from September 4 to 21.
On September 4, 59 individuals were apprehended in the town of Bandar Seri Petaling for a forex scam focused on local and Indian victims. Authorities seized multiple items, including 37 laptops, 15 computers, and 52 mobile phones.
Further raids revealed a variety of scams, from loans and stock frauds to job scams targeting Turkish nationals. Among the items confiscated were mobile phones, computers, and debit cards.
On September 8, police detained twelve men for illegal online gambling targeting Bangladeshis and arrested 29 others in the shopping hub of Bukit Bintang for an investment scam aimed at Asians.
Nine foreigners were later caught at Kuala Lumpur’s downtown center, Jalan P. Ramlee, for a love scam affecting victims across Asia and Europe.
The raids culminated on September 21 near Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) with 23 individuals arrested for job fraud targeting Australians and Canadians.
Allaudeen noted these operations had been running for about three months from upscale condominiums.
“We urge the Joint Management Body of the high rises to be more responsible in vetting their tenants properly and ensuring no crime occurs at the premises,” he added.
Scam call centers are rapidly increasing across Southeast Asia, with a concerning increase in human trafficking tied to this malicious activity. A recent report from the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office drew attention to the surge in individuals being trafficked into online scams in the region.
