KUALA LUMPUR: Scammers have stolen billions of ringgit from Malaysians since 2022, but victims only managed to recover RM10.9mil since the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) was set up in 2022, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
The Home Ministry said the NSRC has seized RM32.49mil from scammers since it began operating in 2022.
"Out of this, a total of RM10.9mil has been paid back to victims through the courts," the ministry said in a parliamentary written reply dated Tuesday (June 23).
The ministry said Malaysians lost RM1.57bil to online scams in 2024 and RM2.97bil last year, with a further RM830mil gone in the first five months of this year.
Non-existent investment schemes remain the costliest trap, with losses to fake investments rising from RM848.62mil in 2024 to RM1.46bil last year, hitting RM361.63mil so far this year.
Telecommunications fraud climbed from RM497.12mil in 2024 to RM802.47mil last year.
Love scams remained the lowest recorded category with about RM45mil to RM47mil losses a year.
Selangor and Kuala Lumpur led the losses for a third year running. Victims in Selangor lost RM446.16mil in 2024 and RM986.79mil last year, while Kuala Lumpur rose from RM293.30mil to RM782.86mil over the same period.
Johor, Penang and Perak also recorded sizeable year-on-year increases, and combined losses in Sabah and Sarawak passed RM110mil last year.
Perlis remained the lowest nationwide, at RM11.12mil lost to scammers last year, the ministry said.
The ministry said the rate at which seized money is returned has improved, because from the RM25.2mil seized between 2022 and 2025, about 29% or RM7.3mil went back to victims.
For the first five months of this year, RM7.25mil was seized and RM3.57mil or 49% was returned, which showed the NSRC was becoming more effective and more trusted by the public, it added.
The ministry said the NSRC acts as a one-stop centre for reporting scams and also a first line of defence, freezing bank accounts and blocking suspicious transactions through tie-ups with the police, Bank Negara Malaysia and the banks.
Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee (PN-Beluran) had asked about the trend in scam losses by category and state, the rate of recovery, and the steps taken to trace and return victims' money.
