These seaside apartments were a ghost city - then police say scammers moved in

Malaysia's Forest City, a $100 billion mega-project unveiled by Chinese developers in 2016, once promised to be a dream paradise for 700,000 residents. However, a decade later, only less than 1% of that number inhabit the 14-square-kilometer (3,400-acre) artificial island. Empty apartments, dust-covered benchtops, and vacant skyscrapers characterize the city's ghostly appearance.

In July, Malaysian police arrested 335 suspects and seized assets worth about £181,810 ($245,000) from two alleged scam operations spread across 32 premises in Forest City. The arrests included 309 Chinese nationals, 19 Indonesians, three Malaysians, and four Myanmar nationals. Experts and locals believe this is just the tip of the iceberg, as the scam industry is becoming more professional and global.

The reality is that these organizations now resemble multinational corporations more than traditional organized crime networks.