ONLINE JOB SCAM: FOUR MINORS AMONG NINE HELD - POLICE

KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 (Bernama) -- Police arrested nine individuals, including four minors, believed to be acting as call operators and data managers at a call centre making fraudulent online job offers.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director, Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, said that the nine individuals were arrested in a raid at residential premises in Sungai Besi, on Monday.

He said they consisted of four locals and five Chinese nationals, aged 14 to 40.

“During the raid, police seized various items, including 18 mobile phones, four laptops, five computer sets, a set of conversation scripts, a router and luggage,” he said, at CCID's weekly press conference, here, today.

The syndicate is suspected of starting operations around January 2024, and operating the Lehuigoua platform, which is used as a website resembling an e-commerce platform, and promoted as a legitimate place to buy goods or services.

“This platform claims to collaborate with well-known e-commerce platforms, such as Taobao, Tmall and JD.com. However, the fact is that it is a bigger fraud scheme, and targets victims among the Chinese.

“This syndicate claims that the victims have the opportunity to get a commission from the sale of goods, and those who are interested in working through this platform will be included in the Telegram group, and all communication and instructions will be given through the group,” he said.

Ramli said that the promised commission varied from 0.3 per cent to 0.6 per cent, and often used the promise of high income as bait.

“The investigation has also found that the syndicate has access to the victim's account on the platform. This allows them to change data such as credit and profit, and often show the existence of fake transactions to gain the victims’ trust,” he said.

Five of the nine individuals arrested were remanded until tomorrow, while the remaining four were released on police bail, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.

-- BERNAMA