GEORGE TOWN: The Penang police have arrested three local men for their involvement in an online scam syndicate that allegedly made up to RM100,000 a month. The suspects, all 26 years old, were apprehended from two condominiums on Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and Gurney Drive in George Town on August 1, according to Timur Laut police chief ACP Soffian Santong.
During the arrests, law enforcement officers seized various items, including 24 mobile phones, 35 ATM cards, 40 prepaid phone cards, two laptops, five forged identity cards, 10 secure sign tokens from two banks, and bank deposit slips. A foreign man believed to be the syndicate’s leader, who operates within the region, is suspected of using the Telegram app to communicate, Santong added.
The syndicate has allegedly been operating for the past six months, averaging monthly transactions ranging from RM50,000 to RM100,000. The three arrested men were reportedly involved in acquiring ATM cards linked to mule accounts, which were then used to transfer funds obtained from online scams.
Santong stated, “The syndicate is believed to have an extensive international network. Other subgroups within the syndicate contact victims, offering job opportunities, sexual services, and nonexistent investments. Once the victims transfer funds to these mule accounts, the three men then transfer the money to the syndicate’s accounts.”
As a result of the arrests, the police have solved at least 16 cases of online cheating, with losses totaling tens of thousands of ringgit in the Timur Laut district. The authorities are now searching for the mastermind behind the syndicate, as well as other members. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
