THREE international call centre scam syndicates preying on victims abroad have been dismantled following a series of police raids in Selangor throughout August, police confirmed today.
Selangor Police Chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar said the operations were led by officers from the state’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK), resulting in the arrest of 39 individuals, including foreign nationals and local women believed to be operators within the syndicates.
“In the first raid on 28 August, police stormed a condominium in Subang Jaya and arrested 12 foreign men aged between 23 and 57. This group was targeting victims in Hong Kong and Australia, posing as customer service officers via Facebook and WhatsApp,” he said during a press conference at the Selangor Police Headquarters.
The syndicate reportedly deceived victims into investing in cryptocurrency through a fraudulent online platform. Police seized 11 laptops, 32 mobile phones, a modem and three training books containing scripted conversations used to manipulate victims. The seized items are valued at approximately RM50,000.
All suspects from the first case have been remanded until 4 September and are being investigated under Section 420 and Section 120B of the Penal Code for cheating and criminal conspiracy.
In a separate operation on 11 August, police raided a double-storey terrace house in Kota Emerald, Rawang, and arrested 10 Malaysian men aged 21 to 30.
“This second syndicate had been active since April and focused on victims in Singapore. They used Facebook, Tantan, Telegram and WhatsApp to impersonate customer service personnel and promote non-existent investment packages,” Shazeli said.
Items seized during this raid included nine laptops, one desktop computer, 50 mobile phones, a modem and six training manuals, totalling RM45,000 in value.
In the third operation on 15 August, police arrested 17 individuals – comprising 14 Malaysian men, one Chinese national and two Malaysian women – at a two-storey bungalow in Prima Beruntung, Rawang.
“This syndicate offered fake part-time food review jobs via social media. Victims were promised 70 USDT commission through a bogus website but were instead lured into making further payments to unlock higher profits,” he explained.
From this raid, police confiscated 15 computers, 34 mobile phones, two modems and a router, valued at around RM75,000.
The second case is being handled by the Gombak District Police Headquarters (IPD), while the third is under investigation by Hulu Selangor IPD. All suspects in these two cases are being charged under Section 120B(2) of the Penal Code.
Datuk Shazeli also revealed that losses from online scams in Selangor between January and August this year have reached RM515 million.
“Police remain fully committed to combating cybercrime and will not compromise with any parties involved. We urge the public to remain vigilant against suspicious investment offers and report any suspected scam call centres to authorities,” he said. -Sept 3, 2025
