By M.Krishnamoorthy
A former Associate Professor, author, media coach, and journalist
Be smart. When you get a suspicious call. Do not argue or talk to the scammer. Hang up the call and stop the conversation.
In a spirit of helping Malaysians #MalaysiaKita2026, the Malaysian police have also made a video guiding Malaysians to be Safe.
Stay safe from scammers who will cheat you and make you give away bank account details.
A police Instagram video is going viral, warning people against scammers. The warning: “Before sending a single ringgit, run a background check. Go to our *CCID Semak Mule portal or app*. Enter the bank account number or the phone number provided to you. If it is a flagged mule account, our system will warn you instantly.”
“Check with the requester, the bank, the court, the agency, or the website. Look for the official phone number. If you experience a sudden spike in fear, excitement, or happiness, stop the call and end the interaction in the app. Scammers may tell you not to hang up the phone or stop the conversation. They may also direct you to use an unusual payment method. They may ask you to transfer money to a personal account. A request for a personal account transfer is already a red flag you should watch out for," the video states as acted out by two policemen.
In the event that you have been cheated and divulged your bank account details, dial *997* to start an investigation.
After calling 997, head to the nearest police station. Bring your phone, printed copies of your bank transaction slips, and screenshots of the chat logs.
The police investigation officers need this evidence to build a criminal case and formally track down the syndicate.
The public can also check the *Semak Mule search* . If it comes back flagged, or you realise that it is a scam.
In 2022, a total of 20,041 cases of online scams were reported, resulting in losses of RM684.5 million.
In 2025, total losses from online scams in Malaysia reached RM2.97 billion, according to official police and ministry data.
Over three years, online scams increased more than fivefold.
Increasingly, scammers use various methods, and many more are being designed to blind users. They are not ashamed to use the names of branded goods to sell fake products, offer non-existent services, etc.
So, as consumers, police warned: “Be careful before deciding to buy goods or subscribe to any online service. So, before making any transaction, check first using the Semak Mule portal managed by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID). This can also be done by downloading the Check Mule CCID mobile application.”
Ways to check the legitimacy of the merchant are:
1. Visit the portal at https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my/
2. Select a category, whether you want to check a bank account or phone number
3. Enter the bank account number or phone number information
4. Enter the captcha code shown on the left
5. Click Check Information
If the checked bank account or phone number has been reported or blacklisted, you will see a result like the screenshot.
Freelance Writer M. Krishnamoorthy (https://helloimkrishna.com/) is a media coach, former Associate Professor, and undercover journalist. He has freelanced with Bernama, NST, The Star, and Malaysiakini. He also freelances as a fixer/coordinator for CNN, BBC, German and Australian Television networks, and the New York Times. As an undercover journalist, he has highlighted society's concerns.
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M. Krishnamoorthy (krishnamuthaly@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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