The Pahang police commercial crime investigation department has recorded 379 fraud cases amounting to a total loss of RM5.847 million between January to June this year.

The department’s head superintendent Mohd Wazir Mohd Yusof said the Macau scams involving victims transferring their saving into bank accounts as instructed by the scammer, was the highest loss totalling RM3.021 million with 71 cases.

This is followed by 150 cases of loans by non-existent money lenders involving total loss of RM1.134 million, African scam (55 cases, RM961,414) and online fraud (103 cases, RM731,466).

“Macau scam victims obeyed the scammer’s money transfer instructions for fear of being prosecuted as the suspects impersonate as enforcement officers such as police, customs officers or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC),” he told the press here today.

He added, as for African scam cases, it involved getting a present as an introductory gift to be sent to the victim, and the suspect would convince the victim to pay for various charges such as administrative fee before they could receive the 'gift’.

“Suspect often targets elderly women, single mothers or those who live alone and took advantage of their sympathy,” he said.

Mohd Wazir said, within the same period, police also detained 131 suspects relating to commercial crime with the most arrests involving 70 online fraud cases.

He said, in terms of prosecution, a total of 55 charges for online fraud cases were made in courts throughout Pahang, African scams (18 charges) and Macau scams (four charges).

- Bernama