KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10: Southeast Asia has become the global epicentre of commercial crime, with regional scam losses in 2025 estimated at between US$88 billion and US$114 billion, a half-day lecture series on anti-scamming was told over the weekend.
Co-organised by the British Graduates Association Malaysia (BGAM) together with the Hainan Professional & Graduate Team Malaysia (HPGTM) and HELP University over the weekend, the event brought together current and ex-government officials, law enforcement experts, cybersecurity professionals, industry practitioners and academics to address the growing threat of scams and cyber-enabled crimes in Malaysia.
Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, the former head of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department of the Royal Malaysian Police, highlighted that organised scam compounds across Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines are estimated to generate approximately US$40 billion annually, increasingly driven by AI-generated deepfakes, cryptocurrency laundering and trafficked labour from more than 80 countries.
In his keynote address, he revealed that losses to scammers in Malaysia are estimated at RM5,000 a minute or RM7.2 million a day.
Ramli stressed that while Malaysia has strengthened its response through the Cybersecurity Act 2024, enhanced compliance with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards and closer inter-agency coordination through the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC), scam syndicates continue to evolve rapidly, requiring stronger collaboration, technological innovation and sustained public awareness.
Former Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Minister Tan Sri Dr Syed Hamid Albar, who declared open the lecture, said scams today are no longer merely financial crimes but have become a broader challenge affecting public trust, social well-being and confidence in the nation’s digital ecosystem.
While enforcement remains essential, he stressed that education, integrity and informed citizens are equally important in preventing scams and strengthening society’s resilience.
“Combating scams cannot rest on enforcement alone. It requires a whole-of-society approach. Education remains one of the most effective forms of prevention because an informed society is far more resilient than one that relies solely on enforcement after a crime has already occurred,” he said.
Syed Hamid said he too, was indirectly impacted by scammers when they used his name to hoodwink his friends via phone messages into parting with their money.
In his welcoming address. BGAM President Datuk Kamarudin Md Ali highlighted the growing threat posed by increasingly sophisticated scam syndicates in his opening remarks, noting that they exploit digital platforms, artificial intelligence, and social engineering to deceive unsuspecting victims.
Referring to the latest statistics from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), he noted that Malaysia recorded more than 66,000 online scam cases in 2025, resulting in losses of approximately RM2.97 billion, underscoring that scams have become a serious national challenge affecting individuals, families, and businesses across the country.
“The latest figures released by the Royal Malaysia Police remind us that scams are no longer isolated incidents. They have become a serious national challenge affecting individuals, families and businesses across the country. Combating this threat requires collective responsibility, where every informed citizen becomes another line of defence against scammers,” said Kamarudin.
Another speaker, Professor Dato Sri Dr Akhbar Satar, Director and Professorial Chair of the Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Chief Integrity Officer of HELP University, emphasised that combating scams requires more than technological solutions. It demands integrity, critical thinking, public awareness and collective responsibility.
“Scammers don’t hack computers; they hack human psychology. Whether it is corruption or scams, the crime begins when integrity ends,” he said.
Dr Akhbar noted that scam syndicates continue to exploit trust, fear and human behaviour, making education and awareness among the public more important than ever.
He stressed that universities have a vital role to play in producing graduates who understand the evolving nature of crime and are equipped to contribute to prevention, policymaking and criminal justice.
Ts. Ir. Eugene Teow of Cygnus Technology Solutions and ASP (R) Rahmat Fitri Abdullah, a former PDRM officer involved in anti-scam activities, provided valuable practical insights into emerging scam trends, commercial crime investigations, cybersecurity, digital trust literacy, and practical strategies to help individuals and organisations better protect themselves against increasingly sophisticated scams.
The discussions reinforced the importance of stronger collaboration between government agencies, law enforcement, financial institutions, technology providers, educational institutions, industry and community organisations in building a safer, more informed and scam-resilient Malaysia.
The programme also highlighted the critical role of higher education institutions in nurturing ethical leadership, strengthening digital literacy and fostering a culture of integrity that serves as a long-term defence against scams and other forms of crime.
The moderator of a panel session involving Ramli, Teow and Fitri — Datuk Yong Soo Heong, who is the President of the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) and Editor-in-Chief of the Weekly Echo news portal — said millions of ringgit are lost each day in Malaysia due to scammers exploiting the trust, greed, and above all, “our over-dependence on a device measuring six by three inches called the smartphone.”
“Too often, this little screen (from the device) makes otherwise sensible people feel utterly foolish when they let down their guard. Why? Because of the blind faith in its promises — or sheer greed.
“Where else can you be told your potential romantic husband or comely wife-to-be is just a click away or just around the corner, or that you can amass an investment fortune worth hundreds or thousands or millions within a few hours or days, or that your back pain or heart disease can be cured overnight by some advice lurking somewhere but in the tiny screen of the smartphone?
“And yet, many cling to this device as if it were dear life itself day and night,” Yong said.
WE