JOHOR BARU: A new group of foreign nationals operating fraudulent “call centres” in luxury condominiums here has been busted by police.
The latest arrest, involving four Chinese nationals, was carried out in Iskandar Puteri several days ago.
Officers from the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) raided the condominium unit and arrested the four aged between 32 and 35.
The official said none of the suspects had passports with them.
“An array of items were seized, including mobile phones and laptops,” the official said, adding that all suspects are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.
The group posed as customer service representatives and logistics staff, luring mostly retirees in China with promises of lucrative returns in cryptocurrency.
Several weeks ago, police raided two high-end condominiums in Johor Baru and arrested 10 foreigners comprising five Chinese, three Myanmar and two Indonesian nationals, all men in their 20s and 30s.
All suspects were recruited via social media and promised lucrative salaries and commissions, with each successful scam potentially netting them up to RM10,000.
Meanwhile, a woman lost her life savings of almost RM600,000 in a bogus investment scheme which promised up to 30% returns monthly.
The official said the victim, 55, was first approached in September by someone on social media offering to share tips on how to generate 20% to 30% returns each month.
“The woman was initially not convinced but decided to download an app and give it a try,” the official said, adding that she managed to make a few thousand ringgit at first.
“She only realised she had been duped after she was unable to access her account,” the official said.
Scam victims are advised to call the National Scam Response Centre at 997 to lodge a report. The public can also call the CCID Scam Response Centre at 03-2610-1599, or check Semak Mule or Facebook (@jsjkpdrm and @cybercrimealertrmp.