Kedah police dismantle seven online scam syndicates

Kedah police have dismantled seven online scam syndicates, resulting in the arrest of 87 individuals during operations conducted in the first ten months of this year. The suspects include 27 Malaysian citizens and 60 foreign nationals from China, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

Authorities reported that the syndicates increasingly use abandoned premises, such as shop houses, hotels, or resorts, as call centers to conduct their activities. These groups targeted victims both domestically and internationally, including individuals in Thailand, Japan, China, Australia, India, and Bangladesh.

Modus operandi included banking transaction abuse, fake online lottery numbers, love scams, fraudulent part-time job offers, and phone scams where perpetrators impersonated enforcement officers. Police seized equipment valued at approximately RM300,000, including mobile phones, computers, routers, ATM cards, and uniforms used to impersonate enforcement agencies.