THE National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) will soon operate 24 hours a day under a strengthened and integrated model, significantly boosting the country’s capacity to respond to online fraud and limit victims’ financial losses.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the revamped NSRC, which will be police-led with support from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and other agencies, is set to be launched imminently.
“Previously, scam victims would call the 997 hotline, but with four different regulatory agencies managing cases separately, the resolution process became disjointed and inefficient,” he said.
“For example, if a scam occurs at 9pm, the victim currently has to wait until the next morning to file a complaint, as the helpline isn’t always operational 24/7. With the upgraded NSRC, if a person is scammed at 10pm, they can immediately call the centre at 10pm.”
He said this during the launch of the MADANI Adopted Village and School Programme by the Malaysian Volunteer Corps Department (RELA) in Hulu Terengganu yesterday.
Under the new setup, calls to the NSRC will be answered by on-duty police officers who will immediately lodge a report and collect the victim’s details, including names and bank account information, before alerting the relevant financial institutions.
“The first step is to freeze the account involved to prevent the scammer from withdrawing the funds,” he said.
“If we place ourselves in the victim’s shoes, that’s the top priority — freezing the account, then working with the police to try and recover the money. That is the process.”
The NSRC enhancement involves three main elements. “First, it will be led by the police but with continued roles for BNM and MCMC,” he said.
“Second, there will be an increase in dedicated personnel. Currently, staff from various agencies juggle these responsibilities. Under the new plan, they will work under one roof with a clear, unified mandate.”
He added that the government, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, has already agreed in principle to the expansion.
“There will be a designated office for the centre, a full team of staff, and a 24-hour operational model — that is what we mean by strengthening the NSRC,” Saifuddin said. - June 30, 2025
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