Kelantan sees commercial crime cases double, losses total RM19 million in nine months

Between January and September, Kelantan documented 1,359 commercial crime cases, resulting in RM19 million in losses, a year-on-year increase of over 100 percent. Police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat attributed the surge to the widespread use of digital devices, which scammers leverage through tactics that prey on fear, greed and romance. Online purchase scams topped the list with 674 reported incidents.

Victims aged 31 to 40 comprised the largest group, totaling 490 individuals, and men represented the majority of victims at 820. In August, a female civil servant fell victim to a phone scam that stole RM1.197 million after fraudsters posed as insurance officers and police, prompting her to open a new bank account and transfer savings. The case is under investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code.