Police cripple 2 ‘Macau scam’ syndicates in Selangor

One of the syndicates targeted victims overseas while the other swindled locals.

Selangor police chief Mazlan Mansor says the victims included professionals, including doctors. (Bernama pic)

SHAH ALAM: Selangor police have crippled two “Macau Scam” fraud syndicates in separate raids conducted in Ampang and Petaling Jaya on July 26 and 30.

Selangor police chief Mazlan Mansor said 41 arrests were made. They comprised 10 South Koreans and a Vietnamese, aged between 20 and 36, and 30 locals, including three syndicate leaders, aged between 18 and 38.

“In the first raid at a two-storey luxury bungalow in Ampang, seven men and three women from South Korea were suspected to be conducting fraud via phone calls, which we believe is similar to the Macau Scam.

“A Vietnamese woman was believed to be working as a maid at the premises.

“All of them have valid travel documents and the syndicate is believed to have made Malaysia its operational hub, targeting overseas victims.

“Further investigations are being conducted on their modus operandi to identify if there are local victims involved as well,” he said here today.

He said police also seized electronic items used by the syndicate including 28 monitors, 14 computers, seven mobile phones, three internet routers and five internet adapters.

Mazlan said in the second raid at a luxury bungalow in Petaling Jaya, 30 locals, comprising 22 men and eight women, including three male masterminds, were believed to be running a similar scam.

A telephone conversation script, aimed at conning victims, was found at the premises.

He said police seized 37 mobile phones, five tablet computers, an internet router, two backpacks, two documents containing bank account information, a car as well as RM40,000 in cash.

“The telephone conversation script is a way to deceive victims and is taught to the syndicate members.

“They will call victims pretending to be from the Anti-Money Laundering Crime Investigation Team, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the Customs Department as well as the police and Bank Negara Malaysia, claiming that the victims were involved in certain cases.

“This syndicate was targeting local victims. We are reviewing the number of victims involved by checking the calls made through each mobile phone.

“Initial investigations have found that the syndicate would call the victims randomly, with certain professionals, including doctors, also deceived by them,” he said.

According to Mazlan, the syndicate is believed to have been in operation for a long time. The three masterminds, aged 29, 36 and 37, possessed various criminal records related to drugs and commercial crime.

He added that the police were investigating if the syndicates were involved with any secret societies or online gambling activities.

Mazlan said authorities were still trying to determine the total amount of losses involved in the two scams, saying it could well be in the millions.

“The two cases are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for fraud.

“Police are thankful to the public for channelling correct information to help solve such commercial crimes,” he added. - FMT