KUALA LUMPUR: A joint operation between the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Malaysia's Federal Commercial Crimes Investigation Department crippled a Business Email Compromised (BEC) syndicate operating from within the country.
Eight people including two women were arrested in connection with the syndicate in five raids in the Klang Valley.
Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said police received information from its Australian counterpart about a company losing over A $134,000 to a scam operating from Malaysia.
"We were told the transactions made via credit cards and bank transfers were all linked to Malaysia numbers and locations.
"Based on that, we quickly acted upon the information to identify their operations' location and raided the five premises on Oct 23," he told a press conference at Menara KPJ here today.
Ramli said six foreign men and two local women aged between 24 and 39 were arrested in connection with the case.
Police also seized laptops, mobile phones, three passports , modems, sets of keys, automated teller machine cards, notebooks, a rubber stamp, a set of document copies, access card and two cars: a Suzuki Swift and Toyota Altis.
"Further checks on the items confiscated by police also found that the syndicate is related to love scam fraud cases that target victims from within and outside the country," he said.
Ramli said police are also investigating the suspects' involvement in the love scam cases which were reported previously.
"The six foreigners are remanded for 14 days under the Immigration Act 1959 while the two local women have been released on police bail.
"The case is being investigated under Section 420/511 of the Penal Code and Section 6(1)C of the Immigration Act 1959," Ramli said.
Speaking on love scams, he said almost 80 percent of love scam victims are women, and surprisingly many of them happen to be married.
"For the period between January to October this year, a total of 810 cases have been reported with 644 love scam victims being women. Of this, 307 (47 per cent) are in the age range of 31 to 50.
"Typically, individuals in this age range are married individuals. Thus, the police does not rule out the possibility that there are wives who have turned their backs on their husbands and indulged in virtual love either through Facebook, Wechat, Tinder, WhatsApp and so on.
"To this group, it is advised that one must stop such acts and resort to finding the best solution in any problem that is faced."
Ramli said straying from their marital relationship is not only improper, but brings unnecessary disputes in the course of investigations. He said investigators are asked to keep this information from the husbands.
"It puts the investigators in a spot and ethically its not something right to be doing when you're married," he said, while reminding married women not to seek love out of marriage.
Ramli said wives should find other ways to resolve any problems they face as a couple.