IGP: M'sia not a hub for Nigerian scammers

KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman has denied that Malaysia is a hub for Nigerian Internet scammers specifically targeting American women.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said although there were such cases reported in the country, Malaysia was only used as a platform for such illegal activity.

“Malaysia is not a hub. This kind of crime can be committed even when abroad. Which means some of these scammers only use Malaysia as a platform, rather than operating from here,” he said.

Khalid was commenting on a report by Reuters which cited Malaysia as being an Internet scam haven that targeted American women.

In the article published on Tuesday, the news agency said that hundreds of American women were being lured by scammers based in Malaysia, “with some losing over a quarter of a million dollars, as the country becomes an epicentre for online crime perpetrated by Africans”.

Quoting US officials, it added that the conmen, mostly Nigerians on student visas, took advantage of Malaysia’s “good Internet infrastructure to prey on lonely, middle-aged women, wooing them on dating websites before swindling them of their savings”.

The report also said the scams were more sophisticated than the ones based in Nigeria.

Khalid said 141 Internet scam cases involving Nigerians were reported so far this year.

“We are working closely with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and service providers in our investigations,” he said.

In an unrelated matter, Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation Kuala Lumpur chairman Datuk Seri William Lim Wie Tee donated RM10,000 to the family of the late L/Kpl Mohd Azuan Abdullah.

The policeman died near Alor Pongsu, Perak, on May 26 after he was knocked off his motorcycle by robbers he was pursuing.

He was to marry his 24-year-old fiancee in Sungai Petani, Kedah.