Many victims fall prey to scam park syndicates due to their naivety, desperation, and limited understanding of the realities of life. Despite ongoing efforts to raise awareness about these criminal activities, scammers find it easy to deceive victims by enticing them with promises of high-paying jobs or romantic relationships.
Datuk Seri Michael Chong, the head of MCA Public Services and Complaints Department, expresses disappointment with the naivety of the victims. He explains that most of them come from small towns or villages and have little knowledge about how scams operate. They eagerly believe offers of jobs with salaries ranging from RM6,000 to RM7,000.
In some cases, the scammers are acquaintances or friends of the victims. They take advantage of this relationship to exploit and deceive their friends. They often lure their friends into traveling overseas with them, leaving them stranded and forcing them to work as scammers themselves.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) refers to the widespread crimes organized by scam parks in Southeast Asia, such as in Cambodia and Myanmar, as a “scamdemic.” These scam parks, also known as fraud factories, are groups of criminal syndicates specializing in human trafficking.
The victims are forced into modern slavery, working as online scammers involved in love scams and cryptocurrency fraud. Failure to meet targets results in threats of prostitution or organ harvesting. However, not all victims are innocent; some willingly choose to become scammers and are aware of the nature of the job and the associated risks.
Chong: ‘They come from small towns or villages and have little to no knowledge about how scams work.’
Rescuing victims from scam parks is challenging. Datuk Seri Michael Chong collaborates with Interpol, Aseanapol, embassies, local enforcement agencies, and the United Nations offices to ensure effective rescue missions. Runaway victims are sheltered by companies in countries where scam parks are located, awaiting assistance.
Chong has resolved 58 cases so far but emphasizes the need for practical measures to address the issue. He suggests tightening the security of Malaysian borders to prevent victims from leaving the country through illegal means. Additionally, monitoring suspicious job offers advertised online and targeting syndicate agents can further protect potential victims.
Meanwhile, a group of academics plans to conduct a survey to examine Malaysians’ awareness of scam park activities and explore preventive measures. The study is a collaboration between Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman’s Tan Cheng Lock Centre for Social and Policy Studies, Universiti Teknologi Mara’s Academy of Contemporary Islamic Studies, and the Centre for Malaysian Chinese Studies (Huayan). It is supported by The Star, Sin Chew Daily, Astro Awani, Sinar Harian, and Malaysia Nanban. The survey aims to analyze Malaysians’ perception of the risks associated with falling for scams and gather public feedback on government interventions.
The survey will be available until Oct 30 and can be accessed here.
