ONLINE fraud in Malaysia has recorded a sharp rise in the first quarter of 2025, with 12,110 reported cases amounting to RM573.7 million in financial losses, according to the Royal Malaysia Police’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK).
Bukit Aman JSJK Acting Director Datuk Rohaimi Md Isa said the figure marked a 13 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, which saw 10,715 cases.
“E-commerce scams recorded the highest increase, rising by 19.8 per cent from 2,116 cases to 2,535 cases,” he said in an interview with Sinar Harian on Friday.
The department highlighted six major scam categories driving the surge: e-commerce fraud, telecommunications scams, non-existent loans, e-financial fraud, bogus investments, and romance scams or ‘love scams’.
During the first three months of 2025, there were 5,214 cases involving telecommunications scams, 1,404 cases of fake loans, 711 incidents of e-financial fraud, 2,026 investment scams, and 220 love scams.
“All categories of fraud have shown increases ranging between 1.6 and 17.1 per cent,” Rohaimi said.
He attributed part of the increase to the rising trend of online transactions, particularly in the lead-up to festive seasons such as Aidilfitri, which typically sees a spike in digital shopping activity.
The widespread use of information technology and the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) tools were also cited as major contributing factors.
Scammers are now employing advanced digital tools to deceive victims, including fake digital identities, counterfeit websites, automated chatbots, and 'deepfake' technology.
“Generative AI allows for the creation of content that appears authentic and convincing, making it harder for users to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent communications,” Rohaimi said.
He urged the public to exercise caution and always verify the background of individuals or organisations before making any online financial transactions.
“Users are encouraged to refer to official portals such as PDRM’s 'SemakMule' and to stay updated through JSJK’s official website and other relevant agencies,” he added. – April 18, 2025
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