Cybercrime rising in Melaka, RM8.59mil in losses since Jan 1

 State police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar says 538 cases have been reported since the beginning of the year.

Melaka police said online shopping scams often surge ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

PETALING JAYA:

 Cybercrime in Melaka is rising, with 538 cases reported since Jan 1, causing RM8.59 million in losses, says state police chief Dzulkhairi Mukhtar.

He said e-commerce fraud was the most common, with 212 cases causing RM1.65 million in losses, followed by online investment scams, involving 103 cases and RM3.55 million in losses.

“Online shopping scams often surge ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, as buyers pay for items that are never delivered.

“Investment scams, including those perpetrated through platforms like Telegram, remain a major source of financial loss, consistent with last year’s figure of 318 cases totalling RM31.4 million,” Bernama reported him as saying.

Dzulkhairi said scams involving fake loans ranked third among cybercrime cases, with 84 incidents causing RM719,981 in losses, followed by job offer scams, which involved 58 cases and RM643,856 in losses.

Phone scams accounted for 46 cases, resulting in RM1.3 million in losses, while impersonation scams, where perpetrators pose as friends to borrow money, recorded 24 cases with RM133,721 in losses.

“Love and parcel scams accounted for 11 cases, causing RM602,010 in losses. Love scams often involve three to six months of interaction, during which perpetrators study victims’ vulnerabilities before defrauding them.

“Victims come from all backgrounds and age groups. Fake investment scams usually target financially stable individuals or those from affluent families, while love scams tend to prey on single mothers, singles or those experiencing loneliness,” he said. - FMT