Scam victims recover just 1pc of RM1.23b lost over past decade, Parliament told

Financial scam victims have recovered only 1.1% of the RM1.23 billion stolen by fraudulent groups over the past decade, according to figures presented in Parliament. The National Scam Response Centre (NSRC), established in 2022, has facilitated the return of RM14.01 million to affected depositors since its inception. The federal police logged 18,213 scam victims between 2016 and August 2026, with an average loss of RM67,500 per victim.

In the first eight months of the NSRC's operation, authorities seized RM9.14 million in illicit transactions and returned RM6.67 million to victims, accounting for nearly half of all funds recovered since the centre's establishment. The government has emphasized the importance of immediate action within the first 24 hours, or the 'golden hours', to trace and freeze money.

Authorities have brought 1,754 criminal charges related to financial scam offences over the past decade, and investigators are utilizing financial forensic tracking to dismantle money-mule rings. Law enforcement agencies are also collaborating with financial institutions and telecommunication carriers to enforce account freezes and terminate syndicate phone numbers.

The police's SemakMule verification portal, launched in 2020, has received over 77 million visitors, allowing users to screen suspect bank accounts, phone numbers, and company registrations before conducting online transfers.