As of March this year, two cases were reported daily on average, based on reports by Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID).
Its director Comm Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa (pic) said online job scams targeting youths have shown a worrying spike over the past two years.
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“A total of 569 cases were recorded in 2024 involving those aged between 17 and 22.
“The number of cases surged to 1,246 last year. As of March this year, a total of 198 cases were reported.
Comm Rusdi said syndicates commonly lure victims with offers of part-time online jobs promising lucrative returns within a short period.
“These offers are usually made through social media platforms and messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram,” he added.
Victims are typically asked to make upfront payments, purportedly as working capital, processing fees or to complete assigned tasks, he said.
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“In some cases, scammers provide small initial returns to gain victims’ trust before persuading them to make larger payments.
“Syndicates have also been known to impersonate legitimate company representatives to deceive victims, especially students looking for part-time work,” he said.
Comm Rusdi advised the public, especially students and job seekers, to remain vigilant and not be easily deceived by online job offers that promise unrealistic returns.
“Avoid making any upfront payments, registration fees or financial transactions under the pretext of job-related tasks.
“We also encourage the public to verify suspicious phone numbers, bank accounts or company names via the SemakMule portal before taking any action,” he said.
He also urged those who feel suspicious of such offers or who have fallen victim to scams to contact the National Scam Response Centre at 997 or lodge a report at the nearest police station to enable swift action to be taken.
