‘Macau scam’ claims new victims in Malaysia

The so-called “Macau scam” has continued to ensnare victims this year, particularly in the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Recent incidents in Malaysia’s Klang Valley and in Penang led to the police arresting one Malaysian and almost 100 Chinese nationals – hailing mainly from China and Taiwan – for their involvement in an online credit card fraud branded as the “Macau scam”.
According to Malaysian authorities, the syndicate preyed on Chinese and Taiwanese nationals by pretending to be figures of authority and asking victims to settle bank loans or outstanding credit card payments.
They added that the raid had been executed following information from China on the whereabouts of the computer used in the scam. China had made investigations after receiving complaints from Chinese citizens that had fallen for the scam.
“Macau scam” fraudsters are usually foreigners with multi-national links to several ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines.
They pose as police or bank officials and tell prospective victims that they are wanted for criminal offences such as money laundering. Victims are then told that the criminal records will be erased after a transfer of funds.
To gain a better insight into common online scams, researchers polled 400 users aged between 18 and 65 in Malaysia, India, Singapore and Thailand.
The study found that nearly half those surveyed in Malaysia (46 percent) said that they had been victims of Internet scams, followed by Thailand at 43 percent. A further 46 percent of Malaysian respondents said that they knew a friend or family member who had been scammed online.
Aside from the “Macau scam”, in which fraudsters impersonated figures of authority, other hoaxers in Southeast Asia also conduct Internet-based “love scams,” “parcel scams” and “investment scams,” sometimes conning thousands of individuals. DB