KUALA BERANG, April 24 — The police recorded 12,110 cases of online fraud or 'scam' throughout the country in the first three months of this year, involving losses of RM573.7 million.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department acting director Datuk Rohaimi Md Isa said the number of cases from January to March increased compared to the last three months of last year, from October to December, which recorded 10,715 cases involving losses of RM519.9 million.
"In Terengganu, 1,251 cases of online fraud with a loss value of RM35.7 million were recorded throughout 2024, compared to only 1,139 cases (loss value of RM24 million) throughout 2023," he told the press after conducting a working visit to the Ajil police station today.
Rohaimi added that online fraud crimes include telecommunications crimes, e-finance crimes, 'love-scam', e-commerce crimes, non-existent loans, and non-existent investments.
The increase in these cases was due, among other things, to the rapid development of technology and the shift in today's lifestyle which is focused on the use of online applications.
In addition, he said the rapid development of information technology and artificial intelligence (AI) was also identified as a factor in the increase in online fraud cases.
"Criminals are now also taking advantage of technology such as fake digital identity generators, fake websites, automated chatboxes, and 'deepfake' technology to deceive victims.
"Generative AI also enables the creation of content that appears authentic and convincing, making it difficult for users to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent communications," Rohaimi said.
In this regard, the public is advised to take preventive measures such as not clicking on any dubious links received through short messaging systems, WhatsApps, Telegram applications and so on, and not sharing banking information with unknown parties.
— Bernama
