Beware of scammers pretending to be the good guys

KUALA LUMPUR: Scammers posing as National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) officers have already caused almost RM7mil in losses this year, says Comm Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf.

Last year alone, more than 25 cases were reported, involving more than RM700,000 in losses.

The Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director said 53 investigation papers were opened between Jan 1 and May 14.

“Victims have incurred a total of RM6.9mil in losses so far,” he said.

Comm Ramli said victims would typically receive calls from someone claiming to be from the NSRC, who tells them their phone number might be barred as there was a report that the number was used in a scam.

“The call will then be transferred to another person who poses as a police officer.

“The victim will then be instructed to follow some instructions until they eventually transfer funds to an account,” he said.

The NSRC is a centre that receives one-way communication, whereby people could call to report any scam.

“NSRC officers will not call anyone and if you receive any calls claiming to be from the centre, it is definitely a scam, said Comm Ramli.

“I also hope the people will also make use of the SemakMule portal to check and verify bank accounts before performing any transaction.”

On another matter, Comm Ramli also advised the public to be aware of the use of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in scams.

“GAI is a subset of AI used to produce new data to resemble actual data. It uses algorithms and machine learning models to create texts, photos, videos, and other new content,” he said.

“While this technology is applied widely in the creative industry, research and product development, it can also be used for scams and spread false information,” he added.

Comm Ramli said there was a recent viral statement purportedly from a political party, claiming to be more open and less exclusive towards a particular race.

“The statement has since been confirmed as fake. Previously, there were also notices supposedly issued by the police, claiming someone was wanted for his involvement in crimes and his phone number was also listed.

“These are some of the examples of the use of GAI to create visuals and confusing perception,” he said, adding that the latest development was challenging even for the police to determine the validity of the information.

“Be a smart user and equip yourself with sufficient knowledge so that the advancement of technology will benefit and not deter us.”