CASES involving fraudulent offers of part-time employment have risen sharply across Malaysia, with 8,484 police reports lodged nationwide between 1 January 2024 and 14 December this year.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said the figure represented a 146 per cent increase compared with the 3,451 cases recorded during the same period in 2024, an additional 5,033 cases year on year.
The spike in cases has been accompanied by significantly higher financial losses. Rusdi said victims suffered total losses of RM202.58 million during the period, compared with RM118.83 million previously, an increase of about RM83.75 million or 70 per cent.
“This increase shows that crimes involving fraudulent part-time job offers are becoming more widespread and are having a major financial impact on victims,” he said in a statement issued on Friday.
“This trend is worrying because syndicates are using various digital platforms to deceive the public,” he added.
Rusdi said investigations found that scammers typically operate through social media and instant messaging applications, luring victims with part-time job offers that promise high returns in a short period of time.
“In most cases, victims are asked to make advance payments or transfer money to specific accounts before realising they have been deceived,” he said.
“There is no legitimate employer who will ask for any form of advance payment in order to secure a job,” he stressed.
He urged the public to remain vigilant, refrain from disclosing personal or banking information to unknown parties and to conduct proper checks before accepting any job offer.
Members of the public who believe they may have fallen victim to a scam are advised to contact the National Scam Response Centre at 997 for immediate action.
“Police reports should also be lodged promptly to assist investigations and to allow follow-up action to be taken,” Rusdi said. - December 19, 2025
