{
  "id": 6236114,
  "title": "Activist backs police call for tougher penalties against scammers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/activist-backs-police-call-for-tougher-penalties-against-scammers",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-08T04:42:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/09/1528155/activist-backs-police-call-tougher-penalties-against-scammers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KUALA LUMPUR saw the government urged to act on the police's call for tougher laws against scams and fraud. Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye backed Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Khalid Ismail's plea for existing laws to be reviewed and strengthened. Lee emphasized that scams were serious crimes that could devastate lives, deplete life savings, and cause immense emotional and psychological distress to victims. He pointed out that the National Scam Response Centre received 500 to 600 calls daily, signaling the epidemic level of scams. Scammers were becoming adept at exploiting technology, manipulating victims, and operating through intricate networks. Lee advocated for increased penalties for major scam-related offenses, heavier punishments for repeat offenders and organized syndicates, especially those targeting senior citizens and digital banking novices. He also suggested bolstering asset-tracing and recovery powers to swiftly freeze and recover scam funds. Closer collaboration among police, banks, telecommunications firms, digital platforms, and other agencies was crucial for early detection and disruption of scams. Lee stressed the importance of swift investigation and prosecution, as the certainty and speed of punishment were as vital as the severity of the penalty. Lee stressed that enforcement alone couldn't solve the issue and called for public awareness and digital literacy to be continuously improved. He advised the public to recognize common scam tactics and adopt a 'stop, check, and verify' approach before transferring money or disclosing personal information. Banks and technology companies also bore responsibility for strengthening safeguards and swiftly addressing suspicious transactions. Malaysia should not accept scams as an unavoidable consequence of living in a digital society. Lee reiterated that scams should be a high-risk, low-reward crime, and the law must instill fear in offenders to prevent them from viewing scamming as a lucrative business.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: The government should act decisively on the police force’s call to review and strengthen laws on scams and fraud, including imposing tougher punishment to make the offence a “high-risk, low-reward crime”.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}