THE majority of Malaysians who fall victim to overseas job scam syndicates are from the interior and rural areas, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Deputy Home Minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said these individuals were approached by the syndicates through various methods, including job offers advertised on social media.

“Among the jobs offered by the syndicates are customer service officers at investment companies or licensed casinos, interpreters, marketing officers and resort workers.

“However, when they arrive in that country, most of them are forced to work for scam syndicates,” he said in reply to a supplementary question from Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (Tampin-BN) about the modus operandi of job scam syndicates and their target groups during the Question for Oral Answers session.

Shamsul said based on information obtained by the Royal Malaysia Police during engagement sessions with the authorities from the countries involved and through investigations, such cases often involves several categories of victims.

He said that there were some who only realised they had been cheated when they arrived in the country and there were others who already knew details about their jobs, but when they failed to meet the target set by the concerned party, they started experiencing unexpected difficulties.

“There have also been cases where victims who have been brought home safely decided to go back to the country, and ended up asking to be rescued again.

“So I would like to advise Malaysians who accept job offers abroad to comply with local employment laws and regulations first and to ensure that the job offer is legitimate,” he said. – Bernama, March 14, 2023.