POLICE in George Town have dismantled an online scratch and win scam syndicate masterminded by Chinese and Cambodian nationals following coordinated raids on three luxury bungalows in Teluk Kumbar and Bukit Belah on 22 September.
Penang Police Chief Datuk Dennis Lim Kwang Keng confirmed that 29 foreign suspects aged between 20 and 63 were arrested to facilitate investigations into the syndicate's operations.
“In the first raid in Teluk Kumbar, 14 Chinese men were arrested, while the second raid on two nearby bungalows also located in Teluk Kumbar led to the arrest of seven more suspects, comprising three Chinese men and four Cambodians, including three women,” Lim said during a press conference today.
“The subsequent raid was conducted at a bungalow in the Bukit Belah area, South West District, and led to the arrest of eight suspects consisting of two Chinese men and six Cambodian women,” he added.
Initial investigations revealed that the syndicate had been operating for two to three months, renting the bungalows at approximately RM10,000 per month and converting them into operational hubs. Operators received salaries of up to RM8,000 monthly to run fraudulent live broadcasts on social media platforms including Facebook Live and LINE, primarily targeting victims in China and Cambodia.
“They would conduct live broadcasts and ask victims to buy scratch and win cards. Victims were then informed that they had won a grand prize before being asked to make payments supposedly for processing, tax, and insurance purposes via QR code. However, the promised prize was never received and the money could not be withdrawn,” Lim explained.
Police seized more than 200 mobile phones, 17 laptops, two desktop computers, six modem sets, fraudulent licensing documents, scratch cards, and broadcasting studio equipment during the operation.
Several suspects lacked valid travel documents and resided within the rented premises where operations took place.
“All suspects remain in custody, and investigations are being conducted under Section 420 read together with Section 120B of the Penal Code, as well as Section 6(1) and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63,” Lim noted.
All 29 suspects have been remanded until 13 October as police work to identify the syndicate's mastermind and key associates. - October 1, 2026
