Over 1,000 arrested in Malaysia scam call raids in 2023
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — More than 1,000 people have been arrested this year in a major crackdown on scam call centers operating in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur (KL) Police Chief Datuk Allaudeen Abdul Majid said 1,066 individuals were detained for involvement in such centers, with 87 investigation documents opened.
“The KL Commercial Crime Investigation Department conducted 1,609 cyber crime raids and 1,222 other raids since January. We are aware of the threat of scams, and we are going all out to curb it,” he told reporters.
Allaudeen said the raids uncovered that many scam centers targeted victims abroad, using special apps to communicate in foreign languages like Chinese, English, and Tagalog.
Investigations found that over two-thirds of the 148 busted call centers were scamming Malaysians, while the rest focused on foreign nationals – especially from China and Singapore.
The recent crackdown demonstrates the commitment of Malaysian authorities to dismantle international scam syndicates operating on its soil.
Thailand, India, and the Philippines are also strengthening their security in the call center industry, especially after the United Nations Human Rights Office released a report highlighting the alarming rise of individuals trafficked into online scams in Southeast Asia.
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