A SHARP disparity in the amount of money recovered from online scams has prompted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to press for wider public awareness of the National Scam Response Centre, warning that hesitation can cost victims hundreds of thousands of ringgit.
The Prime Minister raised the issue during a Cabinet meeting after personally examining the centre’s operational framework, focusing in particular on how stolen funds are siphoned from victims’ accounts into mule accounts through multiple, rapid layers of transactions.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the Prime Minister was troubled by the speed at which savings can be drained and underscored the decisive role of immediate reporting in maximising recovery.
“One concern on the part of the Prime Minister is how we can increase public awareness about the NSRC and ensure swift action is taken if one becomes a victim, so that the stolen money has a chance to be recovered,” he told a weekly press conference.
Ministers were presented with two recent cases demonstrating the consequences of delay.
In one instance, fraudulent transfers began at about 2pm from an account containing RM1 million.
The victim, however, only alerted the NSRC at roughly 10pm, by which time more than RM800,000 had been lost. Authorities managed to recover approximately RM170,000.
In contrast, nearly the entire sum was preserved in another case because the victim contacted the NSRC immediately after detecting suspicious activity.
Fahmi said procedural changes have further strengthened the centre’s response capability.
Members of the public are no longer required to lodge a separate police report, as police personnel are stationed within the NSRC to receive complaints and initiate action on the spot.
Officials from commercial banks and telecommunications firms are also embedded at the centre, enabling the rapid freezing of accounts and real-time tracing of financial flows, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of recovery efforts. - March 5, 2026
