KUALA LUMPUR: A 67-year-old contractor lost nearly RM20,000 after falling victim to credit card fraud involving overseas medical transactions in March last year.
The victim, who only wanted to be known as Hong, said four transactions were detected on his credit card in 2025, comprising two successful payments to a hospital in India and two declined transactions in Europe.
He said the successful transactions totalled RM19,755.32.
“I immediately contacted the bank to block my card after being alerted,” he said, adding that he also filed a dispute with the bank and lodged a police report.
Despite this, he said he was later charged for the disputed transactions, prompting him to escalate the matter by filing formal complaints and issuing a legal notice to the bank.
He added that the bank proposed that he bear 50% of the disputed amount, but he rejected the offer as he did not authorise the transactions.
“I also submitted a report via email to the Financial Markets Ombudsman Service (FMOS) in December 2025, but was informed that I am required to settle the full outstanding amount,” he said.
Hong then brought the case to the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department.
At a press conference on Wednesday (April 1), the department’s head, Datuk Seri Michael Chong, said the public must remain vigilant when using credit cards, particularly for online transactions.
“Avoid trusting unsolicited messages and only deal with licensed banks or authorised platforms,” he said.
Chong added that the department would write to Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to seek further guidance and possible solutions.
Also present were three other victims who had experienced similar incidents.
A 65-year-old housewife, known as Tan, was charged RM17,997 after a transaction was made on her credit card at a retail outlet while she was at home in January.
She said she received a notification about a purchase at a phone shop in Kuala Lumpur, after which she immediately alerted the bank.
“Upon checking the store’s CCTV, an unknown individual was seen collecting three phones on behalf of a company.
“I reported the fraud to the bank within a minute, as the transaction was still pending at the time of my call.
“But the bank is still insisting that I bear the charge, which I find unreasonable as I reported it immediately upon realising the transaction,” she said.
Meanwhile, a 30-year-old salesman lost about RM15,800 after scammers posing as bank officials tricked him into revealing his card details via a phone number provided in a text message.
Believing the message was genuine, he shared his details with the number provided, only to realise he had been scammed when he noticed an unauthorised RM1,000 deduction from his savings account.
He said several transactions from his other accounts had already gone through by the time he froze his cards.
In another case, a 30-year-old self-employed woman lost RM7,455 after falling victim to an online scam involving a fake verification link.
Identified as Woon, she said the incident began after she posted an advertisement to sell sneakers on a social media platform and was contacted by a purported buyer.
She later received an email asking her to verify the transaction through a link, which she clicked without suspicion.
Shortly after, she discovered that RM7,455 had been charged to her husband’s credit card via an online platform.
