KUALA LUMPUR: Online scams in Malaysia have caused a staggering RM1.12bil in financial losses in just the first half of 2025 alone, says the Home Ministry.
Earlier on August 5, the Digital Ministry said online scam financial losses in 2024 reached a worrying RM1.58bil, a 2.53% increase from the year prior.
The Ministry said the government would further intensify its efforts to curb online scams in the country, which include strengthening the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC).
This would involve the creation of new positions involving various schemes, taking into account the establishment of the 24/7 Network function under a single governance entity.
“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has also agreed for the NSRC to be placed under the direct supervision of the Home Ministry.
“It has been decided that it will be led by the police,” the ministry said in a parliamentary written reply dated Wednesday (Aug 13).
The ministry was responding to a question from Yuneswaran Ramaraj (PH-Segamat) on the amount of money lost by Malaysians due to online scams and the steps being taken to address the issue.
It also said that the feasibility of drafting a Cybercrime Bill is currently being studied as part of efforts to combat cybercrime in the country.
The ministry added that the SemakMule portal, which enables the public to check bank account numbers, phone numbers and companies used by scammers, currently has 265,869 bank accounts, 211,265 phone numbers, and 12,724 company names recorded.
