Teen among 19 busted in JB scam call centre raids

JOHOR BARU: A 16-year-old teenage girl is among 19 suspects arrested for alleged involvement in a fake investment scam based in the city centre here.

The suspects were allegedly working as call centre agents and were hauled in between 10.55am and 5pm on Thursday (April 25).

Their supervisor, a man in his 40s, was also arrested.

Johor police chief Comm M. Kumar said the group was arrested during raids by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) under Ops Nuri on three houses in gated and guarded communities.

The houses were suspected to have been used as call centres.

“Each of the call centre agents received RM2,500 as payment, while their supervisor was paid RM7,000.

“The (suspected agents) consist of eight local men, seven local women and four foreign men, aged between 16 and 38,” Comm Kumar told a press conference at state police headquarters here on Monday (April 29).

Each of them was given a script to use when calling their targets, he added.

“They targeted victims from foreign countries as well as locals (and used) three social media platforms to look for victims, namely TikTok, Telegram and WeChat.

“Based on the script, (they would) ask personal questions to lower their victims' guard before offering a 'free' investment app.

“The victims would be promised a safe investment with immediate high returns,” he said, adding that the group has been active since February and was arrested following surveillance conducted by the CCID.

The team also confiscated 73 mobile phones, 40 SIM cards, 16 scripts, 14 laptops, one vehicle, a script book, telecommunications equipment and keys.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating and Section 6(1)(c) of the Immigration Act of 1959/63 for entering the country without valid travel documents.