WOMEN continue to bear the brunt of online romance fraud, accounting for 60 per cent of victims in January, according to the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) at Bukit Aman. Men made up the remaining 40 per cent of cases.
In a statement, JSJK said that a total of 100 love scam cases were reported in January, compared with 95 cases during the same period last year. “This comparative statistic shows an increase of five cases, or roughly 5.3 per cent, in the total number of reports,” the department noted.
Despite the higher number of reports, the total financial losses recorded last month amounted to RM3.5 million, a decrease of 27 per cent from RM4.9 million in January 2025.
The statement further highlighted that 72 per cent of victims were aged between 30 and 50 years, indicating that this age group remains the most vulnerable to the schemes.
“Members of the public are advised to exercise greater caution when interacting online with individuals they do not know, and to contact the emergency hotline at 997 immediately if they fall victim to fraud,” JSJK urged.
The figures underscore the ongoing risk of online romance scams in Malaysia, particularly among women in their prime working years, as authorities continue to call for vigilance in digital interactions. - February 16, 2026
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