KUALA LUMPUR: Existing laws on scams and fraud should be strengthened and reviewed with the aim of imposing tougher penalties on offenders, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
The Alliance for a Safe Community chairman said the alarming number of complaints received by the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC), reportedly between 500 and 600 calls daily, showed that scams had reached an epidemic level and required urgent action.
"Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, exploiting technology and psychological manipulation while operating through complex networks involving mule accounts, telecommunications channels, digital platforms and, in some cases, organised criminal syndicates.
“If the punishment does not match the seriousness of the offence, it will not provide an adequate deterrent,” he said when contacted on Tuesday (Sept 8).
Lee said scamming should not be regarded as a minor offence as it could destroy lives, wipe out victims’ life savings and cause severe emotional and psychological distress.
He urged the government to seriously consider the police’s call for tougher laws and stronger punishment.
Among the measures that should be considered were reviewing and increasing penalties for major scam-related offences, imposing heavier punishment on repeat offenders and organised syndicates, and strengthening laws against mule account holders and those who knowingly facilitate scams, Lee said.
Lee also called for stronger asset-tracing and recovery powers to enable funds obtained through scams to be frozen and recovered as quickly as possible.
He said cooperation among the police, banks, telecommunications companies, digital platforms and other relevant agencies should also be enhanced to detect and disrupt scams before victims suffered financial losses.
“Ensuring faster investigation and prosecution is also important because the certainty and speed of punishment are just as important as the severity of the penalty,” he said.
Lee stressed that enforcement alone could not solve the problem, adding that public awareness and digital literacy must be continuously strengthened.
He said the public should be taught to recognise common scam tactics and, most importantly, to stop, check and verify before transferring money or disclosing personal information.
Banks and technology companies, he added, also had an important responsibility to strengthen safeguards and respond rapidly when suspicious transactions were detected.
“Malaysia must not allow scams to become regarded as an unavoidable consequence of living in a digital society.
“We must make scams a high-risk, low-reward crime for criminals. If the law does not instil fear in those who commit these offences, they will continue to regard scamming as a lucrative business,” he said.
Lee said tougher laws, effective enforcement, rapid intervention, stronger financial safeguards and an informed public must work together to combat scams.
“The fight against scams is not merely about protecting money. It is about protecting lives, dignity, trust and the security of our increasingly digital society,” he said.
