(Miri, 3rd March) Miri District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Alexson Naga Chabu, issued a statement indicating that on March 1st at 6:15 PM, the Miri police conducted an operation at Jalan Alpinia Jee Foh 3, Taman MDL, successfully arresting three local men aged between 20 and 30, suspected of ATM card scams.
This operation was jointly carried out by the Miri Commercial Crime Investigation Department and the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department. Police seized several ATM cards, mobile phones, backpacks, and cash totaling up to RM28,677 at the scene.
The three suspects are currently detained for three days to assist in the investigation. The case will be handled under Section 420 of the Penal Code (Cheating), which, if found guilty, the suspects could face imprisonment of 1 to 10 years, whipping, and fines.
The Miri police remind the public not to arbitrarily provide ATM cards or bank account information for others' use, nor should they lend personal bank accounts to third parties for any financial transactions to avoid being exploited by criminals for scams.
If you suspect you are a victim of fraud, you can immediately call 997 to contact the National Scam Response Center (NSRC), especially in cases involving online loan scams, romance scams, e-commerce scams, or phone scams. If you have just completed a suspicious bank or e-wallet transaction, you can also report it to the police.
Additionally, the police suggest that before making a transfer, the public can check suspicious phone numbers or bank accounts using the Check Scammers CCID system (https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my). Moreover, you can download the "Whoscall" app from Google Play Store or Apple Store, which collaborates with the police database to mark suspicious scam numbers and raise awareness.
To learn about the latest scam methods, the public can follow the Sarawak Commercial Crime Investigation Department's official Facebook.