02/06/2026
International scam syndicates previously operating in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are believed to be shifting parts of their operations to Malaysia following intensified crackdowns by regional authorities, according to information obtained by the Malaysian Humanitarian Organisation (MHO).
MHO secretary-general Datuk Hishamuddin Hashim said the organisation had identified at least two locations in Malaysia believed to be linked to scam syndicate operations.
He said the groups were suspected of relocating their bases after enforcement agencies, including the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), intensified operations against scam compounds across the region.
"These syndicates are believed to have relocated and operated discreetly from these locations for more than six months.
"It is deeply embarrassing that Malaysia is now being used as a haven for scammers after years of efforts to rescue victims from Myanmar and Cambodia," he said during a press conference.
His remarks were echoed by a former scam centre worker known only as Rex, who spent nearly two years working for a syndicate after accepting what he believed was a legitimate overseas job offer.
Rex said he left Malaysia in April 2024 after being promised a customer service position in Dubai with a salary of between US$5,000 (about RM19,800) and US$8,000 (about RM31,700) a month.
Instead, he was eventually moved to Laos, where he discovered he was working for a scam syndicate.
"The operation employed hundreds of workers of various nationalities, including Africans, Indonesians and Malaysians, with many supervisors originating from China.
He claimed workers were housed in heavily guarded compounds and forced to work up to 13 hours a day, with additional overtime imposed if daily targets were not met.
"The salary they promised never existed. Food, accommodation and daily expenses were deducted from our wages. Many workers ended up with almost nothing," he said.
Rex said the syndicate's primary method involved online investment and task-based scams.
New victims were initially allowed to earn small profits to gain confidence in the platform.
For example, victims would be asked to complete simple online tasks and invest small amounts of money before receiving returns that appeared genuine.
"The first few transactions are designed to build trust. Once victims believe the platform is real, they are encouraged to invest larger amounts.
"That is when they lose everything," he said.
Workers were given scripts and instructed to communicate with potential victims online, particularly those from Europe and other countries.
"Employees who failed to recruit enough victims or generate sufficient profits faced salary deductions and other penalties."
He also claimed workers who wanted to leave were often told to pay large sums of money, sometimes as much as RM60,000, before they would be allowed to return home.
After nearly two years, Rex eventually managed to return to Malaysia in April but said he lost almost everything during the ordeal.
"My house was repossessed. My car was repossessed. I came home with nothing," he said.
Hishamuddin said that upon confirming the existence of the two centres, MHO will lodge an official complaint for the authorities to act.
He also urged Malaysians to be cautious of overseas job offers promising unusually high salaries with minimal qualifications.
"A legitimate employer will issue an offer letter, process work permits and arrange the necessary visas through official channels.
"If those procedures are absent, it should be treated as a warning sign," he said.
He also called on members of the public with information on suspicious recruitment activities or alleged scam operations in Malaysia to come forward, assuring whistleblowers that their identities would remain confidential.
KUALA LUMPUR: International scam syndicates previously operating in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar are believed to be shifting parts of their operations to Malaysia following intensified crackdowns by regional authorities, according to information obtained by the Malaysian Humanitarian Organisation (MHO...