Another Macau scam ring busted
> Taiwanese mastermind among 25 foreigners nabbed
MALACCA: Police have crippled a Macau scam syndicate involving RM13.4 million following the arrest of 26 suspects at an upscale bungalow in Ayer Keroh.
State deputy police chief Datuk Ruslan Hassan said police raided the bungalow on Friday at 1.50pm following a tip-off and detained a local and 25 foreigners from China and Taiwan, including 13 women, aged between 18 and 51.
“These foreigners were found operating here for the last three months using various modus operandi to cheat victims over the phone,” he told reporters at the state police contingent yesterday.
“One of the most common modus operandi was by giving a telephone number to the victim to call and claim a lucky draw gift worth millions of dollars from Macau which was offered to the ‘lucky’ victim.
“Before it is given out, the syndicate member would ask the victim to pay the taxes and insurance on the gift to the syndicate member’s bank account.
“Victims would only realise they had been duped after they can’t contact the number again following a money transfer.”
Ruslan said police have solved 48 of such cases reported last year and 52 cases from January until April this year.
The mastermind of the syndicate, a Taiwanese man, was also arrested during the raid.
“The 51-year-old local man detained acted as a runner for the syndicate, which included delivering food and paying the utility bills,” he added.
Also seized were 22 internet protocol converters, 21 mobile phones, 16 modems, 16 fixed phones, seven walkie talkies, RM21,000 in cash and a car.
Another modus operandi by the syndicate was using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to pose as employees of telecommunications companies to lure unsuspecting victims to transfer money to the syndicate’s account.
On Thursday, a similar syndicate was crippled following the arrest of 50 people in Johor Baru. Of those detained, 27 men and 16 women were Chinese nationals. The remaining suspects arrested were five Taiwanese men and a local man and woman.