‘Most scams are absurd – so absurd that one wonders how anyone falls for them at all; yet if no one falls for them, how do the scammers make money?’ – James Veitch, English comedian
It becomes a very serious issue – almost incomprehensible, in fact – when someone falls victim to an online scam not once, but twice.
That is exactly what happened to a 27-year-old woman in Miri who reportedly lost more than RM600,000 to a scammer posing as a lawyer from Hong Kong. The “lawyer” promised to recover the money she had earlier lost in an online jewellery scam. Instead of helping her, he allegedly took her for another costly ride.
According to police, the woman transferred RM622,792.65 in cryptocurrency through 12 separate transactions over less than a month before realising she had been cheated once again.
Frankly, I find this case extremely difficult to comprehend.
I can understand someone being deceived once. Scammers today are becoming increasingly sophisticated. They exploit technology, psychology and human emotions with frightening precision. Even educated professionals, retirees and successful business people have fallen into their traps.
But to be scammed a second time, after already becoming a victim once, raises troubling questions.
How could a woman, reportedly well-to-do and likely educated, part with over RM600,000 to a stranger she met online? More importantly, why didn’t she seek the advice of her parents, siblings, relatives or trusted friends before making such enormous payments?
Was she really that gullible? Or is there more to the story that has yet to emerge?
Whatever the explanation, the incident highlights a disturbing reality – despite years of public awareness campaigns, Malaysians continue to lose staggering amounts of money to online scammers.
The figures are simply shocking.
Over the past decade, Malaysians have lost billions of ringgit to various forms of scams. Police statistics have consistently shown a sharp increase in online fraud, with thousands of new victims every year. Love scams, Macau scams, fake investment schemes, e-commerce fraud, non-existent loan scams, job scams, parcel scams and cryptocurrency fraud have become household terms.
Every few weeks, another heartbreaking story makes the headlines.
A retired teacher loses her life savings. A pensioner mortgages his house to invest in a fake online scheme. A businessman transfers millions into bogus investment accounts.
A doctor, engineer or company executive becomes the latest victim despite having years of education and professional experience.
The question is obvious. Why are so many intelligent people still falling for scams?
The answer lies partly in human psychology. Scammers know exactly how to manipulate emotions. They create fear by claiming victims are under police investigation. They create urgency by saying an investment opportunity is available “only today”.
They exploit greed by promising extraordinary returns. They prey on loneliness through fake romantic relationships. They appeal to desperation by offering easy loans or promising to recover money already lost.
In short, scammers are experts at exploiting human weakness. Technology has also made their work infinitely easier.
Artificial intelligence now enables criminals to produce convincing fake voices and videos. Social media provides endless opportunities to identify potential victims. Messaging applications allow scammers to contact thousands of people at virtually no cost. Cryptocurrency makes tracing stolen funds increasingly difficult.
In many cases, victims are carefully groomed over weeks or even months before being persuaded to transfer money.
Yet, while scammers deserve every punishment the law can impose, we cannot ignore another uncomfortable truth.
Many victims ignore basic common sense. They trust strangers more readily than family members. They believe promises of guaranteed profits that no legitimate investment could ever deliver.
They willingly transfer huge sums without independently verifying identities or consulting anyone. Some even continue making payments after the first warning signs appear.
This is precisely why public education remains so important.
The police, Bank Negara Malaysia, commercial banks and the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) have repeatedly warned Malaysians never to transfer money to unknown individuals, never to disclose banking credentials and always to verify suspicious transactions.
Banks now issue multiple warning messages before transfers are completed. Police constantly remind the public to check suspicious bank accounts and telephone numbers through the Semak Mule database.
The media report scam cases almost daily. The warnings are everywhere. Yet the scams continue.
The lesson from the Miri case is therefore much bigger than one woman’s unfortunate loss. It serves as another painful reminder that scammers never stop evolving, and neither should our vigilance.
Whenever money is involved, especially large sums, there should always be one simple rule: stop, think and verify. Talk to your spouse, your children, your parents, your lawyer, your banker or your closest friend. A five-minute conversation may save a lifetime of regret.
At the same time, law enforcement agencies must continue intensifying efforts to dismantle scam syndicates, freeze mule accounts quickly and prosecute those involved. Punishment alone will not eliminate scams, but swift enforcement can certainly reduce their appeal.
As for the rest of us, we must remember one uncomfortable but necessary truth. Scammers succeed not merely because they are clever.
They succeed because, far too often, somebody chooses to believe them.
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The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.
