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GEORGE TOWN – A group of teenagers, the youngest being just 16 years old, have managed to scam people out of close to RM3 million in the past six months through an elaborate online fake loan scheme, which drew its victims through social media channels.
However, their bold activities came to an end after the police busted their illicit online call centre last Thursday, based in Batu Ferringhi.
Penang commercial crime division head Datuk Mohd Rosni Mohd Lazim said the raid was led by chief investigator Devan Raman from the state’s commercial crime division.
Twelve suspects aged between 16 and 23, comprising eight boys and two girls, were detained in the first raid before a subsequent operation yielded a further six suspects – five boys and one girl.
The suspects, he said, were paid between RM3,000 and RM5,000 each for the last six months depending on the number of people scammed.
“The suspects constantly posted online adverts through Facebook and Instagram where they would lure the victims, mostly Malaysians with offers for quick loans.
“They made up to RM500,000 each month from their illicit activities. We believe that the youngsters unwittingly became members of a syndicate that specialises in online fraud.
“The deposits by the victims are now gone as they were deposited in accounts that we believe the masterminds had emptied before we raided their operations,” he said during a press conference here today.
State police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain was also present at the presser.
Elaborating on the modus operandi, Rosni said while the social media adverts would attract the victims to apply for their loans, the syndicate will then dupe them into banking in several “processing fees” into the syndicate’s bank accounts.
The deposits were subsequently withdrawn by syndicate members.
Police also seized around 40 smartphones, three laptops and 25 ATM cards from the premises in Batu Ferringhi.
Initial investigations revealed that the syndicate was responsible for 21 white collar crime cases across 12 states.
“It was a nationwide operation out of Penang,” he added.
He urged the public to verify various offerings of loans and get-rich schemes through the eMaps and Commercial Crime Investigation Department portals, and the police scam response centre at its hotline, 03-2610-1599.
Meanwhile, Shuhaily urged people not to be taken in by quick job offers or speedy loan approvals.
The youths, who were school dropouts, were enticed to join the syndicate through job placements made online. – The Vibes, July 19, 2021