Online fraud related to e-finance, romance scams, e-commerce, telecommunications, loans, and fictitious investments increased by between 1.6% and 19.8% in the first quarter of this year compared to the final quarter of 2024.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) acting director, Datuk Rohaimi Md Isa, said a total of 12,110 cases were recorded from January to March, resulting in losses amounting to RM573.7 million.

“E-commerce crime cases saw the highest increase of 19.8% with 2,535 cases, followed by telecommunications crime at 17.1%, involving 5,214 cases,” he said in a statement. Rohaimi attributed the spike in e-commerce-related crimes to the surge in online shopping activity during the Aidilfitri festive season.

Despite the overall increase in reported cases, Rohaimi noted a decline in total losses related to e-finance crimes, love scams, e-commerce fraud, and non-existent loan offers, with decreases ranging from 1.8% to 24.8%.

However, he reported a rise in losses linked to telecommunications fraud and non-existent investment schemes. Losses in telecommunications scams increased by 2.1%, amounting to RM159.2 million, while losses from fictitious investments surged by 20.2%, reaching RM357.7 million.

Rohaimi warned that criminals are taking advantage of rapid technological developments and evolving digital lifestyles. Fraudsters are now using fake digital identities, cloned websites, automated chatbots, and deepfake technology to deceive victims.

“Generative artificial intelligence (AI) enables the creation of content that appears authentic and convincing, making it difficult for users to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent communications,” he said.

He urged the public to exercise caution when engaging in online transactions, to conduct background checks on individuals or organisations involved, and to refrain from disclosing personal information without proper verification.

Members of the public are also encouraged to use official platforms such as the police’s SemakMule portal before making any online financial transactions.

(Source: Bernama)

• TAGS:
• AI Scams
• E-commerce Scams
• Fake Investments
• Internet Scams
• Online Fraud
• Romance Scams
• SemakMule
• Telecommunications Fraud