MALAYSIANS suffered more than RM1.6bil in losses from online scams in three years, says Deputy Home Minister Datuk Jonathan Yasin.

       “From 2019 - 2021, there were 51,631 cases recorded with losses amounting to RM1,611,398,080 due to online crime,” he told Su Keong Siong (PH-Kampar).

       Most of the scams involved online purchases, with 18,857 cases recorded during the same period.

       This was followed by online scams involving non-existent loan schemes with 15,546 cases recorded.

       Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said his ministry had recorded 24,011 online cheating cases from 2020 to Feb 17 this year.

       He said that online cheating cases resulted in RM21.7mil in losses.

       Nanta said improvements to the law to protect consumers against online cheating are expected to be tabled during this parliamentary meeting

       The proposed amendments come in the wake of the rapid growth of online businesses due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

       He was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PH-Pandan) who wanted to know if the ministry’s officers would be properly trained to face the new challenges.

       On action taken against scammers Jonathan said: “A total of 26,359 arrests were made by the police in operations against syndicates involved in online scams, between 2019 and 2021.”

       He added that 16,029 cases led to court charges being brought against the suspects.

       He said that there is a police hotline number and Facebook page for people to report online scams.Earlier, Mohamad Sabu (PH-Kota Raja) revealed that he almost became a victim of a scam.

       He added that he had received a message from a man claiming to be a police officer asking for financial help for his mother’s funeral.

       “I checked with the OCPD before deciding to transfer the money as I was informed that there was no such officer in the district,” he said.