A Malaysian woman who tried to recover RM1,500 lost to an online scam ended up losing an additional RM1.2 million after engaging a purported law firm that claimed it could help retrieve her money.
The case was revealed by MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong at a press conference on Dec 15.
“This is essentially scammers scamming scam victims,” Chong said, warning that self-styled “anti-scam” law firms are exploiting victims by making unrealistic recovery promises.
According to Chong, these firms aggressively advertise online, boasting recovery rates of 90% to 95% — claims he described as implausible and misleading.
“I have handled many online scam cases, and so far the recovery rate is zero. None of the victims who came to see me managed to get their money back,” he said. “So how can anyone claim a 90% or 95% success rate?”
Chong said his department has recorded two such cases to date. In the earlier case, a woman who initially lost RM1,500 to a scam was further deceived of RM1.2 million by a firm promising to recover her funds. In the second case, a man who lost RM390,000 to scammers paid an additional RM33,000 to what he believed was a legitimate legal firm, only to discover he had been duped again.
“All their savings are gone. Everything is gone. Some victims even borrow from loan sharks in desperation, pushing themselves into deeper financial trouble,” Chong said.
He added that these bogus firms often use polished websites, professional-sounding names and bold guarantees to appear legitimate, while exploiting public trust in the legal profession.
Also present at the press conference, senior lawyer Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah cautioned the public against such advertisements, noting that legal advertising in Malaysia is strictly regulated under the Legal Profession (Publicity) Rules 2001.
“From what we’ve seen, these advertisements do not appear to be bona fide. They look wrong and are inconsistent with what the rules allow,” he was quoted as saying.
Muhammad Shafee also pointed out that many such advertisements seem designed to target the Chinese community, using inflated success-rate claims to lure victims.
“Claims like 95% recovery are meant to excite people. Once you are deeply involved, they go after you and wipe you out completely,” he said.
He further questioned the legitimacy of firms branding themselves as “cross-border” legal operators.
“If they are truly international firms, why charge in ringgit? This clearly shows their intended targets are Malaysians,” he added.
