SUPP’s Foo urges crackdown on mule accounts, fraudulent phone numbers after Kuching case

KUCHING (March 23): The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Communications must take firm action to curb online scams, said Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Public Complaint Bureau chief Milton Foo.

He made this remark following a recent case involving a 19-year-old youth identified only as Lim, who received a WhatsApp message on Tuesday from an unknown number posing as a loan shark, alleging that his 25-year-old brother had borrowed RM1,000.

Foo said the victim’s mother had already settled the alleged debt, paying RM4,000 due to escalating interest. However, the family was subsequently pressured to pay an additional RM2,000.

“Not long after, Lim received another message from a different number claiming that his brother had borrowed RM1,500 from a loan shark and was being demanded to pay RM6,500 within three days,” said Foo at a press conference on Sunday.

Foo added that Lim was threatened that harm would come to his family if payment was not made.

“The fraudster also appeared to have detailed information about the family, including their home address and the vehicles driven by his parents.

“As far as we know, such information was not shared by Lim or his brother on social media. How they obtained it remains unclear,” he said.

Foo further revealed that Lim’s brother has been missing for two months, with his whereabouts unknown. Since Tuesday, Lim has received calls from approximately eight different unknown numbers.

In this regard, Foo questioned what measures the Ministry of Finance has taken to address the growing threat of online scams, particularly the increasing use of mule accounts to channel illicit funds.

He also said the Ministry of Communications must intensify efforts to curb the use of phone numbers by fraudsters.

“When registering a phone number, individuals are required to provide identification, such as an identity card or passport for foreigners.

“Yet, scammers are still able to obtain numerous phone numbers and use them freely on platforms such as WhatsApp, undetected. This makes it extremely difficult to identify the individuals behind these crimes,” he stressed.

Foo also advised the public not to be influenced by online loan advertisements, as not all are licensed moneylenders.

“These are what we commonly refer to as ‘Ah Long’. Once you borrow a small amount, say RM1,000, they may demand repayment of RM6,000 or even RM8,000, without any legal basis.

“There are no signed agreements—everything is conducted through WhatsApp and phone calls, accompanied by threats and intimidation,” he added.

Citing Malaysia’s 2025 online scam statistics, he highlighted total financial losses amounting to approximately RM2.77 billion.