Minister: National Scam Response Centre returned RM5.16m to victims, from funds seized between January and July 2026

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced that the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) returned RM5.16 million to victims between January and July 2026, which accounted for 65 per cent of the RM7.94 million seized through the NSRC. The minister emphasized that returning money to victims directly benefits the people and highlighted the increasing seriousness of cyber threats.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, scam operations in Southeast Asia alone generate tens of billions of dollars annually. He also revealed a rise in cases of online sexual abuse, with 152 cases of child sexual abuse material reported in 2025 and another 100 cases up to the middle of 2026. Through the Ops Cyber Guardian initiative, involving cooperation with seven countries, 69 individuals were arrested and 498,694 digital files were seized, including 205,000 files of child sexual abuse material.

Saifuddin stressed the need for the government and enforcement agencies to leverage AI applications to tackle sophisticated cybercriminals, as these criminals now operate in syndicates and utilize rapidly evolving technologies. The 6th International Cyber Resilience Conference (CRC) 2026, themed "Navigating Challenges and Opportunities in Global Cyber Resilience," is addressing these issues over three days in a hybrid format, focusing on the Cyber Crime Fusion Centre, its governance and operational models.