PUTRAJAYA: Scam victims should immediately dial the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) hotline at 997 without needing to lodge a separate police report, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
The government spokesman said the 997 hotline is sufficient as the centre is now equipped to handle reports directly.
"We no longer need to make a separate police report; 997 is enough.
"Following the relocation and expansion of the NSRC's operations, police officers and personnel are ready to receive calls and lodge reports," he said during his press conference at the Communications Ministry on Wednesday (March 4).
Fahmi said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had raised the issue during the March 4 Cabinet Meeting following his visit to the NSRC at Menara 2 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in Cyberjaya on March 3.
He said the Prime Minister had examined the system used by the NSRC to track the flow of funds stolen from victims as it moved through various layers of mule accounts.
"This has sparked the Prime Minister's concern. Several matters are being followed up on to increase awareness about the NSRC and how we can ensure swift action to save the victim's money," he said.
Fahmi shared two examples provided by the Home Minister to illustrate the importance of acting quickly.
In the first case, an individual lost over RM800,000 from a total of RM1mil.
"The incident occurred at 2pm, but the report to the NSRC was only made at 10pm.
"As a result, the NSRC only managed to save RM170,000 of the RM1mil that was stolen," he said.
However, in a separate case where the victim called the NSRC immediately, authorities managed to recover nearly 100% of the funds.
"If you become a victim of scam activities, call the NSRC at 997 immediately," he added.
The NSRC, which began initial operations on Oct 7, 2022, is led by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) in collaboration with Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and the National Anti-Financial Crime Centre (NFCC).
