Online crime cases up 35.5pct in 2023, says DOSM

The number of online crime cases reported to the police last year rose by 35.5 percent to 34,532 compared with 25,479 the previous year.

The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) said there was an increase in all six online crime categories: telecommunications crime, e-finance, love scam, e-commerce, non-existent loan, and non-existent investment.

E-commerce crimes recorded the highest increase at 33.2 percent.

“This is followed by telecommunications crimes (30 percent), non-existent investments (15.6 percent), non-existent loans (12.3 percent), e-finance (6.1 percent) and love scams (2.7 percent),” it said in a statement today.

DOSM added that during the same period, women made up the highest number of love scam victims at 78.2 percent, with those aged between 41 and 50 the most susceptible at 24.3 percent.

15.8 percent of cases involved the elderly - those aged 61 and above.

It said commercial crimes also went up by 32.1 percent last year to 40,350 cases, compared with 30,536 cases in 2022.

“Cheating offences were the highest cases recorded, with 36,936 cases, followed by breach of trust crimes (1,217 cases) and offences under the Moneylenders Act 1951 (994 cases),” it said.

Crime index, drugs cases

The crime index, comprising assault and property crimes, increased by 3.2 percent last year to 52,444 cases compared with 50,813 cases the previous year, with the crime ratio for every 100,000 people rising to 149 compared to 146 in 2022.

“The crime index ratio for five states exceeded the national average of 149, with Kuala Lumpur recording 221, Selangor (196), Kedah (193), Penang (193), and Negeri Sembilan (159).

“Sabah, meanwhile, had the lowest crime index ratio of 95, followed by Kelantan (96) and Terengganu (100),” DOSM said.

As for drug cases, the number of addicts detained by the National Anti-Drug Agency increased by 2.8 percent to 24,186 people compared to 23,517 in 2022, with the composition of addicts according to gender remaining the same, with 95.7 percent males and 4.3 percent females.

Corruption, sexual crime, traffic summons

As for corruption cases, the number of investigation papers opened by the MACC rose by 25.1 percent last year to 1,026 cases compared with 820 cases in 2022.

“The number of investigation papers for all offences increased last year except for bribery, which dropped by 25.3 percent to 59 cases from 79 in 2022.

“MACC also made 25.1 percent more arrests last year, with 1,137 compared with 909 arrests in 2022. There were also more arrests made for all types of offences, except for bribery which dropped 6.5 percent to 86 cases compared with 92 in 2022,” it said.

The number of children’s sexual crime cases increased by 26.5 percent to 1,567 in 2023 compared with 1,239 in 2022.

“Child pornography offences increased the most by 139.3 percent, followed by child grooming (100 percent) and non-physical sexual assault (97 percent).”

The number of traffic summonses issued by the police dropped 12.3 percent to 4.6 million in 2023 compared with 5.3 million in 2022.

The statement added that the Crime Statistics, Malaysia, 2024 published today could be downloaded for free at the DOSM portal at www.dosm.gov.my.

- Bernama

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