By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, Feb 25 – Despite a decline in online scam cases in Selangor, Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari expressed concern over the rise in financial losses in the state stemming from the crime, which increased from RM292 million in 2023 to RM386 million in 2024.
He highlighted the continued efforts to combat cybercrime, especially through the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), stressing the negative impact of online scams on both the economy and the psychological well-being of victims.
"I believe online crime will continue to be addressed, especially through the efforts of MCMC and other agencies.
“This includes reducing or stopping scams and fraudulent activities on social media, as they have a negative impact on both the economy and the public's mental well-being," he said at the Selangor State Legislative Assembly, today.
He was responding to a question from Port Klang assemblyman Azmizam Zaman Huri on the number of losses involving online scams in Selangor and how the state is addressing the issues.
In 2023, a total of 5,260 online scam cases were reported, but this number dropped to 5,091 in 2024, reflecting a decrease of 169 cases.
The financial losses recorded in 2023 were RM292,093,647.17.
However, despite the reduction in cases, the losses in 2024 surged to RM386,426,494.32, marking an increase of RM94 million compared to the previous year.
Amirudin stated that full-time workers and retirees are less likely to be targeted by scammers, as full-time workers are typically busy during office hours when most scams occur.
He also said that while many of these scams are operated from outside the country, some are based locally.
"Therefore, I hope MCMC can enforce stricter and more precise measures while we continue to raise public awareness about online fraud, which I believe is a significant criminal threat at present," he said.
