Sarawak recorded 12,452 online scam cases involving losses of RM384.92 million between 2022 and August this year, with losses peaking at RM116.36 million last year.
In a written parliamentary reply, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the state recorded 1,865 cases in 2022, 2,318 in 2023, 2,271 in 2024 and 3,338 last year, with another 2,660 cases reported from January to August this year. He was replying to Julau MP Larry Sng, who asked for a breakdown of online scams in Sarawak.
E-commerce scams made up the most cases at 4,062, followed by telecommunications scams at 4,021 and fake loan scams at 1,795.
Non-existent investment schemes caused the biggest losses at RM165.09 million, followed by telecommunications scams at RM125.56 million and e-commerce scams at RM41.03 million.
People aged 21 to 30 were the largest group of victims with 3,370 cases, followed by those aged 31 to 40 with 3,262. Men were involved in 6,398 cases and women in 6,054, while private sector employees made up the biggest occupational group with 4,690 cases, followed by the unemployed at 2,558 and students at 1,072.
Sibu recorded the highest number of cases among Sarawak’s districts at 2,314, followed by Kuching with 2,267 and Miri with 1,916.