IPOH: Perak police busted a fake job scam call centre syndicate targeting victims from China, operating from a homestay in Pulau Pangkor last Friday.
State police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin said the Commercial Crime Investigation Department of the Perak Contingent Police Headquarters, in cooperation with the Manjung District Police Headquarters, conducted a raid at 9.45 pm, resulting in the arrest of 13 Chinese nationals and two locals linked to the scam.
Noor Hisam added that 12 Chinese men and one woman, aged between 26 and 41, were detained along with a local married couple, aged 61 and 63.
He said investigations revealed that the 15 syndicate members had been using the house to carry out a call centre job scam, offering online job opportunities that primarily targeted victims in China.
“This syndicate offered online jobs requiring victims to complete tasks involving online purchases to boost product ratings,” he said in a statement tonight.
Noor Hisam added that victims were lured with promises of profits for completing tasks involving online purchases, but they never received any returns after making payments.
The local couple involved in the scheme rented the house and supplied food to the syndicate members.
“During the raid, police also seized 12 laptops, six Wi-Fi modems, and 88 mobile phones of various brands, estimated to be worth RM80,000.
“All 15 suspects were remanded for four days, from Feb 22 to Feb 25, 2025,” he said, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 420 and Section 120(B) of the Penal Code.
Noor Hisam said the police would check the passport status of the Chinese nationals with the Malaysian Immigration Department and take action under the Immigration Act 1959/63 if any violations or misuse of visit passes were discovered.
He also urged the public to be cautious and not to trust any online job offers that required them to make upfront payments to complete tasks.
