GEORGE TOWN: Penang police have recorded an 82.7% increase in commercial crime cases in the first four months of this year with a total of 1,387 cases involving losses of RM53mil.
Penang police chief Datuk Khaw Kok Chin said a total of 759 cases were recorded for the same period last year, involving a total loss of RM28mil.
"These commercial crime cases are a very serious problem in today's society. From the beginning of January to April 30, commercial crime cases increased by 628 cases or 82.7%," he told reporters, after the Penang police chief's monthly assembly and mandate at the state police contingent headquarters on Wednesday (May 24).
He said most of the victims were cheated online, including telecommunication (phone scams), love scams, efinancial and ecommerce frauds, and non-existent loans and investments.
"Among the contributing factors behind these widespread criminal activities, and difficult to detect, is that scammers often change their modus operandi, using false registration of prepaid services; the use of mule accounts and the constraints of existing legal provisions," he said.
Khaw said the phenomenon posed a challenge for the police to take more comprehensive and aggressive preventive measures, in making the public aware of the risk of fraud using communication technology. – Bernama
