Police have uncovered a new scam tactic involving syndicates allegedly impersonating foreign police officers following a series of raids on five call centres in Selangor.
Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar said 40 people were arrested during five separate raids carried out between 18 and 20 August. The five syndicates were not believed to be connected to one another.
The groups allegedly operated various scams targeting victims in Taiwan, China, Japan and Hong Kong, including love scams, telephone scams and schemes involving individuals posing as foreign law enforcement officers.
Some of the syndicates were also accused of offering subscriptions to pornographic videos through selected websites as part of their operations.
Shazeli said police made a significant discovery during the raids when they seized a power card bearing the insignia of a foreign police force. The item is believed to have been used to convince victims that the suspects were genuine law enforcement personnel.
“We believe the use of the power card is a new modus operandi as we had never previously seized or found one believed to belong to a foreign police force,” he said during a press conference here today.
However, police have yet to establish whether the card is genuine and are conducting checks with the relevant authorities to verify its authenticity.
The 40 suspects comprised five foreign women and 35 men, including three Malaysians and 32 other foreigners. Police believe they were employed as customer service operators and had been involved in the alleged scam activities since around the middle of the year.
Investigators seized a range of electronic equipment estimated to be worth about RM165,000. The items included 14 computers, seven iPads, 175 mobile phones, five laptops, six modems and 11 routers.
Police also found 10 books containing suspected scam scripts, along with RM6,000 in cash, 23 passports and a Perodua Alza.
All 40 suspects have been remanded to facilitate investigations, with the cases being investigated under the Penal Code.
Shazeli said the suspects were believed to have entered Malaysia using travel documents as tourist passes. Police are now working with the Immigration Department to verify the documents and establish the suspects’ immigration status.
The five call centres were also found to be operating from rented residential properties rather than conventional office premises. These included condominiums, bungalows, semi-detached houses and double-storey terrace houses.
The discovery has highlighted the increasingly sophisticated methods used by scam syndicates, particularly their efforts to create the appearance of legitimate organisations to gain victims’ trust. Police are continuing investigations to determine the full extent of the groups’ activities and identify other individuals who may be involved.
