Nearly 1,800 commercial crime cases recorded in Negri Sembilan


COMMERCIAL crime cases in Negri Sembilan showed an increase with 1,747 cases recorded involving losses amounting to RM45.1 million from January to July, said state police chief Ruslan Khalid.

He said fraud cases made up the majority of the cases at 1,676 reports with RM39.7 million in losses, followed by illegal moneylending (38 cases, RM27,420 in losses); criminal breach of trust (12 cases, RM4.8 million in losses); cyber crime (11 cases, RM594,026 in losses); counterfeit money (nine cases, RM1,300 in losses); and counterfeiting (one case). 

According to him, the figure is a little worrying considering that 2,671 commercial crime cases were recorded throughout last year with losses of RM42 million, while 1,890 cases and RM95.6 million in losses were reported in 2020. 

“We have achieved the digital era, so most cases veer towards online fraud, including the Macau and love scams, which show a worrying trend, in addition to posing a serious threat because they involve losses amounting to millions of ringgit. 

“Conventional crimes like snatch theft, robbery, burglary and violent crimes are decreasing because everyone was at home last year due to Covid-19. What has risen is commercial crime because people have started using social media to buy and sell things,” he said.

He told reporters this after officiating a town hall that was also attended by Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Ramli Mohd Nor, who was an invited panellist, in Nilai today. 

As such, Ruslan said the situation gave scammers the opportunity to switch from conventional crime to cyber crime, which is seen to be easier to carry out and supposedly ensured immediate returns.

He said the perpetrators also used emotional sentiments to deceive victims, although various campaigns and platforms have been utilised by relevant parties to spread awareness.

“We see that they exploit emotional weaknesses as people have a greedy nature, do not want to be alone and love cheap sales. That is what causes us to be exposed to these syndicates and get involved in love scams, non-existent investment schemes, and many more,” he said. 

Regarding the town hall, he said it was an effort to bridge the gap between community and police, especially in raising awareness about current issues, by focusing on government agencies, students and the public. – Bernama, August 17, 2022.


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