KUALA LUMPUR: A 19-year-old girl caught in an online gambling addiction has been exposed as part of a mule account syndicate, with seven bank accounts under her name—each linked to transactions exceeding RM500,000.
Initially borrowing RM1,000 from a loan shark to fund her gambling, the teenager ended up RM30,000 in debt to 27 loan sharks. Unable to repay, she handed over her ATM cards to them, Kosmo reported.
She was arrested by police after seeking help from Operasi Darul Muttaqim (DM), and a urine test confirmed drug use.
"The teenager is the second of two siblings. She had previously worked with her aunt selling nasi lemak in Pahang before falling into the trap of borrowing from loan sharks due to her online gambling addiction," DM general manager Datuk Mohd Zaki Zainol said.
"As she was under our organisation's referral, the police informed us that there are 37 complaints linked to her involvement in the mule account syndicate, with transactions of at least RM500,000 per card."
Zaki warned that handing over ATM cards to loan sharks is a self-destructive act, as the debts will never truly be settled.
"The loan sharks claim they need the ATM cards to deduct the debt, but in reality, the debt never disappears. That's why they can continue using the cards for an extended period.
"The victims can see transactions happening in their accounts but are powerless to stop them because of their outstanding debts.
"There is no agreement to return the ATM cards unless a police report is filed. By the time everything is exposed, it's already too late, and panic sets in," he said. - NST
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