KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians are at growing risk as scammers manipulate stolen identities to carry out fraud, according to the police Commercial Crime unit.
Speaking in a podcast on TikTok this morning, Inspector Jeevan a/l Patric from the Commercial Crime Unit revealed that scammers now disguise themselves behind carefully constructed false identities.
“Scammers today are faceless criminals. They use fake names, ages, or even stolen ICs to impersonate companies, individuals, or authorities. Once victims believe the lie, it is often too late,” he said.
According to Jeevan, there are four main categories of identity misuse: investment firms, business accounts, personal identities, and authority figures.
“Online platforms have become the main target for scammers, who frequently clone authentic Instagram or social media accounts and impersonate businesses offering second-hand goods or auctioned gold.
“They aim to lure buyers into making direct payments rather than using secure platforms,” he added.
He added that a common tactic used by scammers is to impersonate authorities, including making fake video calls while posing as police officers. He said any official matter will require the individual to attend the police station in person.
Jeevan urged the public, especially the youth, to be cautious of scam tactics, to remain informed about online safety, and to refrain from disclosing sensitive information, such as identification details, addresses, or vehicle details, on digital platforms.
He added that legal action can be taken under Section 419 of the Penal Code for impersonation, Section 420 for cheating, as well as the Computer Crimes Act 1997 and the Personal Data Protection Act 2010.
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