KUALA LUMPUR: The National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) says it received 19,438 calls related to online scams in January 2026, with RM2.408bil of victims' funds successfully frozen before they could be siphoned off.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said of the amount, RM321.3mil or 13% was successfully returned to victims.
"Although the percentage is small, the data emphasises how important it is for victims to take swift action to report cases within the 'golden period' of 24 hours.
"This is information we need to spread widely. Those who become victims should report within 24 hours to ensure the money can at least be blocked, although the process of getting it back may take quite some time," he said during the Dewan Rakyat Special Chamber session on Thursday (Feb 26).
He was responding to Tan Hong Pin (PH-Bakri), who asked about efforts to address mule account syndicates through phased control of outgoing funds.
Shamsul Anuar also said if reports are made late, the likelihood of successfully blocking the funds is lower as the money would usually have been transferred or withdrawn in multiple layers by syndicates.
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"If victims lodge a report immediately after realising they have been scammed and contact the 997 hotline, the chances of identifying, tracing and blocking the funds are higher," he said.
According to Shamsul Anuar, NSRC's capability had been strengthened through the establishment of the National Fraud Portal (NFP) to expedite fund tracking and detection of mule accounts, including through data integration and the use of predictive analytics.
In this regard, he advised the public to refer to Bank Negara Malaysia's Financial Consumer Alert List, the Securities Commission Malaysia's Investor Alert List and the police's Semak Mule portal before making any money transfers or investments.
Meanwhile, Shamsul said a total of 218,307 accounts had been identified between 2023 and 2025, with 46,433 accounts recorded in 2023, 51,302 in 2024 and rising 70% to 87,209 in 2025.
"This reflects increasingly strengthened detection and enforcement actions in efforts to curb the misuse of bank accounts for online scam crimes," he said.
He added that the police continuously took firm action against owners or custodians of mule accounts, including arrests, investigations, prosecutions, as well as account freezing and asset seizures in accordance with the law. – Bernama
