Round-the-clock breaking news from Malaysia.
Cambodia has dismantled more than 200 online scam operations and deported tens of thousands of foreign suspects in recent months, yet authorities admit the border town of Poipet continues to harbour illegal fraud networks.
Malaysia has recorded 8,014 online fraud charges by May, already surpassing last year's total of 6,140 cases. Deputy PM Ahmad Zahid highlighted the escalating threat while tabling the Cyber Crime Bill 2026 in Parliament.
Perak police have arrested 18 Chinese nationals across two coordinated raids near Ipoh in a significant operation against an alleged online scam network, marking another blow against transnational cybercrime operations in Malaysia.
Cambodia has deported more than 16,000 foreign online scam suspects during the first six months of 2026, part of an intensified enforcement campaign against cybercriminal networks operating in the Southeast Asian nation.
Malaysia's Ministry of Domestic Trade launched the 'Jom Beli Selamat' campaign with Shopee and police to combat escalating online fraud. The initiative aims to educate consumers on safe shopping practices as losses exceeded RM4.54 billion in recent years.
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Malaysian police have arrested more than 45,000 suspects and opened 165,501 investigation papers into online scam cases since 2023, marking an intensified crackdown on digital fraud that threatens the region's financial ecosystem.
Indonesian police have arrested a Chinese national at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on an Interpol Beijing warrant for his alleged role in a sprawling international online scam network based in Cambodia.
Myanmar authorities arrested four illegal Chinese nationals in Muse Township involved in online scam and gambling schemes. Security forces seized 34 mobile phones, eight computers, and other equipment used in the illicit operations.
Online fraud losses in Malaysia have nearly doubled to RM2.97 billion in 2025 from RM1.57 billion in 2024, according to Home Ministry data. Investment scams remain the dominant threat.
Malaysia's new Cybercrimes Bill 2026 underwent first parliamentary reading today, seeking to replace the outdated 1997 framework with modernised digital crime enforcement and tougher penalties for computer-based offences.
A magistrates court in Bukit Mertajam has convicted six foreigners—five Chinese nationals and one Taiwanese—each fined RM9,000 for perpetrating sophisticated online romance scams targeting Asian victims across multiple countries.
Romance scams are rapidly expanding worldwide, with criminals leveraging artificial intelligence to create convincing fake identities. Losses now reach hundreds of millions annually across multiple countries.