Matrade warns businesses of scammers posing as agency officers to solicit upfront payments

The Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) has issued a warning to businesses and the public regarding fraudulent activities conducted by individuals posing as Matrade officials. The scammers target vendors, pretending to facilitate urgent services for overseas trade delegations, booth translation for international exhibitions, and corporate recreational events.

They request sensitive information, such as company profiles, registration certificates, bank statements, and Ministry of Finance certificates, in order to forge fraudulent letters of award and government purchase orders.

Matrade has received numerous reports of companies falling victim to this scheme and incurring financial losses due to upfront payments made to third-party suppliers or designated sub-orders. These scammers instruct awarded vendors to buy merchandise and gift supplies from appointed sub-vendors before government disbursement. The scammers operate fraudulent shell accounts directly, posing as Matrade's representatives.

The corporation views the breach as a serious matter and has filed police reports and complaints with CyberSecurity Malaysia and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission for digital forensic investigations and legal action. To prevent such incidents, Matrade advises businesses to verify all procurement requests and ensure communications come from official Matrade email addresses, such as those ending in "@matrade.gov.my".

The agency's staff do not engage in procurement negotiations via commercial email providers or personal messaging platforms.

Additionally, Matrade reminds businesses that all procurement activities adhere to Malaysian Treasury Circulars and are carried out through formal government procurement channels. The company explicitly states that it never asks vendors to deposit advances or pay external invoices to third-party sub-contractors. Businesses are advised not to disclose confidential financial or operational details without verification.

Companies that have transferred funds to fraudulent parties are urged to contact the National Scam Response Centre at 997 for assistance in tracing and freezing illicit banking transactions. They should also lodge a police report at the nearest station, providing transaction records, forged documents, and chat transcripts to aid investigations. Matrade emphasizes its zero-tolerance stance on fraud involving the agency's name and will take necessary actions to safeguard exporters and the public.

For inquiries or to verify the authenticity of Matrade procurement requests, businesses can contact the agency at 03-6207 7077 or email info@matrade.gov.my.