M’sian syndicate targeting S’porean men through online love scams busted in Kelantan
Malaysian police have dismantled a scam syndicate running online love scams targeting Singaporean men, arresting 58 people in the process.
According to Malaysian news outlet New Straits Times, officers from Kelantan’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department carried out the operation at about 4.30pm on April 23.
“Initial investigations revealed that the premises were used as a call centre to carry out online love scam activities targeting victims from Singapore,” Kelantan police chief Mohd Yusoff Mamat told the press.
The syndicate was believed to have been active for a month, with members posing as Indonesian women to lure victims.
The syndicate reportedly operated from a rented resort, with three supervisors at the helm.
S$57,600 in assets seized from resort
Items worth about RM179,000 were seized during the operation. These include:
- 118 mobile phones
- 46 desktop computers
- Eight routers
- Five laptops
58 people, 53 men and five women aged between 20 and 30, were arrested. According to Oriental Daily, only two of those detained were locals — 52 were from China while the others hailed from countries such as Myanmar, India, and Pakistan.
Only 33 of the foreigners were found to have entered Malaysia with valid documents.
They will be held until April 26 to assist in investigations.
Mr Yusoff added that police had not calculated the losses suffered by the victims as no reports have been lodged.
The syndicate is suspected of committing offences under Section 120B of the Malaysian Penal Code, which pertains to criminal conspiracy, and Section 420, which covers cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.
Commercial crime cases in Kelantan have doubled since 2024. Police will treat such scams seriously, Mr Yusoff said, pointing to concerns about financial losses and the impact on Malaysia’s international reputation.
In early April, a Mediacorp Chinese drama was criticised by Malaysian organisations for portraying the country as scam-ridden.
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