KUALA LUMPUR – RM2.5 million was lost last year to scammers who hacked instant messaging and social media apps and pretended to be victims’ friends, according to police.
There were 494 such cases in 2023 involving RM2,503,803.05, Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said.
This month alone, there were 50 cases reported in the first 20 days of the year, involving a total loss of RM238,732, he added in a statement.
The work of a syndicate, Ramli said the modus operandi is to hack a victim’s WhatsApp, Telegram or Facebook account, and impersonate the victim’s acquaintances to borrow money.
“The real account owner only realises what has happened when they find they cannot access their account or chats, or when they receive phone calls from their acquaintances regarding the money borrowed,” Ramli said.
He advised the public to be careful when receiving such messages requesting money from a supposed friend, and to verify the request first by contacting the sender.
Those who need further advice and guidance on what to do in such cases can also contact the nearest police station or the CCID infoline at 013-2111222.
In December, Ramli said other types of online scams had caused losses of about RM1.3 billion last year.
There were 32,462 such cases throughout 2023 in which victims were persuaded to part with their money for supposed investment purposes, e-commerce, “love” scams and fake loans. – January 21, 2024