494 cases of impersonation scams reported nationwide since Jan 1, RM238,732 in losses

 

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KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 494 cases related to impersonation scams on social media were reported nationwide, resulting in losses amounting to RM238,732 from Jan 1 until yesterday.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director, Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, said that his department identified the modus operandi employed by fraud syndicates disguising themselves as acquaintances on social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram.

"Based on investigations, it was found that these syndicates hacked the social media accounts of victims and contacted their friends to borrow money.

"The owners of the affected social media accounts only realised that their accounts were compromised when they could no longer access them or received calls from acquaintances inquiring about the legitimacy of the loan," he said in a statement today.

He advised the public not to easily fall for messages asking for loans from friends or acquaintances, especially if bank accounts belonging to someone else are used.

"Regardless of their reasons, verify the matter by contacting the acquaintance to confirm the details. For any advice or further information, the public can contact the nearest police station or make inquiries to the CCID (Criminal Investigation Department) Infoline at 013-2111222," he added.  - NST