Every day there are news on ordinary people being scammed and there are also news of mule account holders being charged.

"All of the mule account holders are locals, not only from longhouses and villages in rural areas but also from Bintangor town."
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2025/09/...rested-meradong

I think one way to handle this issue of scams and mule account is placing restrictions on personal savings account.

Usually we open a savings account for receiving our monthly salary. And in some cases receiving monthly allowance from children.

To avoid the savings account to be miss used, transactions from savings account to savings account should be restricted with set limits. The account should also have 1 or 2 "favourite" accounts and can only transfer money (on-line) into these favourite savings accounts only.

These favourite savings accounts would have to pre-register with 24 hours cooling period. Plus limited amount of 1k or less.

So for those doing e-commerce and receiving money from multiple customers, they have to open a business account to receive money from their customers.

In short, Bank Negara should differentiate savings accounts from business accounts by placing more restrictions on savings accounts and their transactions. Savings account receiving money from other than the 2 or 3 regular sources would be freezed.

Senior citizen loses nearly RM6mil to scammers

Thursday, 09 Oct 2025

SHAH ALAM: A senior citizen has lost nearly RM6mil after falling victim to a phone scam.

Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar said the 73-year-old victim, a private sector retiree, received a call in May from a man claiming to be from the national anti-financial crime centre in Putrajaya, telling her she was involved in a money-laundering case.

She was then instructed by another scammer to "declare her assets" and savings.

Then in June, the victim was instructed to open four bank accounts and deposit her savings into the newly opened accounts.

"She was told to put all the ATM cards in an envelope and leave it at a playground in USJ and to give her banking information to them," he said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 9).

Shazeli said the victim only realised she had been duped after her child told her it was a scam.

However, it was already too late as she had already lost RM5,996,586.51.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025...mil-to-scammers

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Sad... when you grows older and losing your mind and not trusting your love ones to take over and manage your wealth.

Prime target for scammers.

Good thread. We shall compose all scam news in the same thread for reference.

alot of people got alot of skeleton in the closet so when scam calls claiming to be from justice departments they always feel scared and do accordingly
thats why scammers always pretend to be police or fbi or some cia agent instead of insurance agent or something claiming there is something wrong with ur insurance acc or something
when u poor and have like rm5k and u didnt do anything wrong when the call comes in u insta know its scam
its the ones that did some dirty work to get that kind of money that when the call comes in then suddenly u scared liao
but also, not sure if bank internal leak those kind of info to scammers that they can call peopl ewith large savings or they just spray and pray and hope they kena one high profile acc
my friend do business also millions kena the call as well and he was on the phone for so long until the moment they ask to transfer money then he snap out of it
he said his money is more previous than jail lmao
have to pry it out of his cold dead hands

most people are aware of mule accounts, yet the temptation never really goes away — the promise of a small cut from the total amount that moves through can be hard to resist. some have it even worse, being forced into it; for example, those in debt to loan sharks who end up handing over their atm cards just to reduce what they owe.

there’s a chinese saying: “don’t preach kindness to those whose pain you’ve never endured.” it’s a sobering reminder not to underestimate what desperate people might do for money.

those who use their savings account for business are usually small/new startups — the kind of people banks don’t seem eager to offer current accounts to. last time, i wanted to open one myself to handle a few large cash deals and be able to write cheques. i knew it wasn’t a formal business, but still, the bank staff started asking for an introducer and all sorts of requirements. it just feels like the system isn’t made to accommodate small startups or mom-and-pop shops.

More likely the latter... they asked, she provided the info herself.

It's a long scam over several days. All was already lost in June, when she opened 4 new accounts and transfered her money into these new accounts.

Nowadays, it is easy to open an account online and without going to a bank. The scammer would be guiding her step by step on registrating a new account over the phone. And the scammer's phone number would be used as the registered phone number.

The atm/debit cards, which were later send by the bank(s), are not needed as the scammer had already gained control over the new savings accounts and the money can be transferred out online (using his phone).

The atm cards instructed to leave at the playground is a ruse. I doubt the scammer intended to come and collect the debit cards. It is just a means to get rid of the debit cards so that nobody else knows the woman has opened new savings accounts.

This is a myth and assumption. If they have skeletons, why would they lodge police report after being scammed? Would you lodge a report if you're scammed because you wanted to hide the skeletons? Dah lah wang hilang, kena investigate pulak?

I've trolled a scammer before. Their final card is "identity theft". Have you lost IC before? If yes, see now your ID is misused. If not, have you revealed personal information to others, like insurance agents or banks? Of course have lah .. see, stolen identity.

Even better, impose harsher penalty and fines to the one that provide mule accounts like what Singapore did. Hardly hear any news that those caught giving out mule account get heavy punishments

How to apply for a Current or Savings Account/-i
(For new non-Maybank customers)

And how to activate the newly created account.

I was a long time customer of a bank, and the branch manager was my introducer. It's a personal chequing account. But that was many years ago and had not issue a cheque in a long time. Even recently, I bought a banker's cheque instead of writing a cheque because I was afraid it would bounce as my signature might not match as before.

Anyway, I think the receiving account is the crucial link in these scams. Scammers have to use 3rd party mule accounts to hide their identities.

Banks should profile personal savings accounts and freezes it when there are unusual higher number of transactions into it than before.

Suspicious transactions can be detected. They are the banking experts. I think it is more a question in whether the bank is breaking any policy on client's privacy. But newer policies are created all the time.

Sarawak police identify 2,354 mule accounts involved in over RM40m scam losses
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/202...am-losses/79280

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LUBOK ANTU: Police arrested a local man yesterday (Oct 7) for allegedly acting as a money mule in an online fraud case.

The suspect, in his early 40s, is believed to be invovled in the case reported in Negeri Sembilan and incurred losses of around RM1,250.
https://www.sarawaktribune.com/man-picked-u...-as-money-mule/

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9 October 2025
SARATOK: Police arrested two individuals believed to be involved in a series of phone scam cases during an operation codenamed Ops Kesan, conducted by the Saratok District Police Headquarters’ Commercial Crime Investigation Division today.

"Both of the suspects, believed to be mule account holders, admitted that the bank accounts used were under their names but claimed ignorance of any money being deposited."

https://www.sarawaktribune.com/two-arrested...ine-scam-cases/

current SOPs to handle scam/fraud case after victim pay/transfer money are too slow.

And then scammer now no longer use Saving/Current account to scam.

Latest trend, they are using TouchNGo Small Business DuitNow to Scam.

To upgrade to the next level. Payment gateway are one of the issues. They linked directly with the scammer mule account.

still need to do pass ekyc

need to have mule for this

a perfect way to make a mule account

you just need to recruit innocent people only

that's why I said, all these digital verification all got major loopholes one

after the first ekyc was conducted, does the bank do the second verification every now and then? nope, dont think so

Mule accounts not necessary when crypto ATMs is more widespread and easily available...

JB kindy teacher loses RM100K to scammer posing as her hubby on WhatsApp

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025...bby-on-whatsapp

Monday, 27 Oct 202511:36 AM MYT
JOHOR BARU: A kindergarten teacher here has been cheated of RM100,000 by an individual impersonating her husband, who was away on business, via WhatsApp.

Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said that according to the 52-year-old woman, she received a message from her husband's number last week.

"The impersonator requested her to transfer RM100,000 as his bank account could not be accessed," he said in a statement on Monday (Oct 27).

ACP Raub said that at the time, the victim's husband – the general manager of a private company in Mount Austin here – was in China on a week-long business trip.

He added that the victim unsuspectingly made seven transactions amounting to RM100,000 to two different banks on Friday (Oct 24).

“Upon completing the transactions, she called her husband to check if he had received the money, but he told her that his mobile phone had been hacked," he said.

The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

LoL

Husband most likely transfer money to settle blackmail main isteri orang lain...

Polis / bank can easily check if that bank account is mule or genuine account, when money went into mule account they will be cash out on the spot / direct transfer to other bank account

These mule account will have maximum cash out / transfer amount that bank allow daily, if you are genuine account you wont set such high limit

The mule account will only be use to cash out money where genuine account will have pay for credit card or some bills, most mule account owner will know who they given their bank card to because they rent the card out and receive money from monthly rental / commission from the scammer

Malaysia law on scammer is not tough enough, thats why you see so many people doing scamming

then what should be implemented?

Bank negara, All bank & polis combine set up special department to check, suspend & catch all suspect

Lets say victim bank in to Bank A and scammer transfer from Bank A to Bank B, this special department after receiving report from victim can suspend the account from Bank A & B for 3 days for investigation

If the account been use as mule they can charge & detain the original account holder, the problem with bank is each different bank have their own policy regarding mule account and its alot of hassle for polis because they need to get approval / info from each different bank

Ex-civil servant loses RM3.07mil to online investment scam

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025...investment-scam

Monday, 27 Oct 20256:17 PM MYT

JOHOR BARU: A government retiree allegedly lost RM3.07mil after being hoodwinked into joining a fraudulent online investment scheme.

The 62-year-old victim came across an advertisement on social media in July promising instant profits.

“The victim clicked a link and was connected to the suspect, who instructed her to download an app on her phone,” said Johor police chief Comm Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad.

Comm Ab Rahaman said the victim was told that she could monitor her investments via the app.

Believing she could make a quick profit, the victim made 29 transfers amounting to RM3,070,433 into six different bank accounts between Aug 19 and Oct 15.

“The victim only realised she was cheated after the suspect became uncontactable and she was unable to withdraw her profits,” he said.

Comm Ab Rahaman said the victim lodged a police report on Oct 24, and the case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating.

i think this is banbantan.com

most stupid scholar or expert ... why punish those who use the account responsibly just becauze there are stupid out there ?

Some 154 million bank accounts cleaned, and $56.9 million in suspicious transactions blocked

October 06, 2025 | 14:40

https://en.vneconomy.vn/some-154-million-ba...ons-blocked.htm

The central bank’s Anti-Money Laundering Department, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Security, scrubbed 154 million accounts and 36 million customer files from the national database on money laundering and terrorist financing.

The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) announced that it has cleaned up 154 million bank accounts and flagged nearly 300,000 customers for suspected fraud, blocking transactions worth a combined VND1.5 trillion ($56.9 million), according to report released by the Vietnam News Agency on October 6.

The bank’s Anti-Money Laundering Department, in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Security, scrubbed 154 million accounts and 36 million customer files from the national database on money laundering and terrorist financing. The National Credit Information Center (CIC) similarly cross-checked 57 million records, cleansing nearly 44.5 million customer files from its credit information database.

Director of the SBV’s Information Technology Department Le Hoang Chinh Quang was quoted by the news agency as saying that 57 banks and 39 intermediary institutions integrated biometric authentication into mobile banking platforms; and that more than 128.9 million personal accounts and 1.3 million corporate accounts were verified biometrically, or 100% of active digital banking users.

Over the past time, the central bank has identified some 600,000 accounts showing suspicious activity. Through collaboration with banks, authorities warned nearly 300,000 customers and blocked transactions totaling around VND1.5 trillion.

Deputy Director of the Anti-Money Laundering Department Nguyen Thi Minh Tho, as quoted by the news agency, said that the department is implementing the Government’s resolution on piloting crypto trading market, with four major missions of establishing anti-money laundering obligations for encrypted asset service providers; collecting, processing and transferring information about suspicious transactions; ensuring close coordination among the SBV, the Ministry of Finance, the State Securities Commission and the Ministry of Public Security; and fostering international cooperation to enhance anti-money laundering effectiveness.

The central bank is developing specific guidelines for financial institutions to provide related services while meeting legal requirements for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and financing of weapons of mass destruction proliferation, tailored to the characteristics of the encrypted asset market.

this is a lot and what banks have been done? 3m transfers within the 2 months out from her accounts = tak nampak?

you forgot internal staff is same gang with scammers. that's why they always target the right people...

settle internal staff who has access to database first.

Scammers paying rm200-300 for every account you open for them. For some people, that's a lot of money.
Should start throwing jail term for those selling the accounts and you'll see this stop right away.
They can't get away with it because the account name is tied to them.