SEREMBAN: There is an increasing trend of university students allowing online scam syndicates to use their personal bank accounts for fraud, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said these syndicates reportedly entice students with payments ranging from RM1,000 to RM2,000 per account.
In exchange, the criminal networks use these mule accounts to funnel illicit funds and deceive victims.
"I view this seriously because online fraud trends show an alarming increase and the pattern specifically involves the use of mule accounts, including those of university students.
"The modus operandi of these syndicates is to withdraw cash banked in by their victims from these mule accounts and then pay the account holders," he said after launching a safe schools programme at Kolej Tuanku Muhriz Form Six here on Tuesday (June 6).
Saifuddin Nasution said the government had taken stern measures to check online scams and the use of mule accounts by amending the Penal Code to specifically criminalise the unauthorised possession, control, or transfer of another person's payment instruments such as ATM cards, credit cards, or e-wallet accounts.
"We will continue to carry out campaigns to educate them that it is wrong to allow their bank accounts to be used by others.
"We must start sharing such information in schools as digital threats including online scams as syndicates will continue to find ways to create mule accounts," he said, adding that this was also the reason the government set up the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) 997 hotline.
Saifuddin Nasution, who visited and spoke to students at three other schools before the event, said his ministry would continue to carry out initiatives to ensure schools remain safe.
"Our theme is safe schools and to ensure our students are not involved in physical and cyber bullying, gangsterism, sexual harassment, drug abuse, or prohibited substances or materials.
"The objective is also to ensure that these students can be effective communicators for us," he said.
The schools he visited earlier were SMKA Sheikh Hj Mohd Said, SMK Tunku Ampuan Durah and Kolej Vokasional Ampangan.
Saifuddin Nasution said such programmes were also important as schools also need to be free from extremist elements and hazardous ideologies.
"The police previously detained a student who was still a teenager and schooling in Kedah.
"We found his mobile phone filled with information themed around extreme violence and we were forced to detain him," he said, adding that although it was an isolated case, the authorities viewed it seriously.
Schools should also be free of extremist elements and dangerous mindsets as spreading hatred against other races and religions would greatly harm society and the country, he said.
