CYBERJAYA - Online scam syndicates are capable of siphoning between 80 to 90 percent of a victim's bank account balance within just three to 10 minutes through a complex web of multi-layered mule accounts.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that the syndicates employ a tactic of breaking down transactions into small amounts, such as RM1,000 to RM3,000. This prevents the withdrawals from triggering the banking system's early warning alerts.
"In just three to 10 minutes, the majority of the money is moved across several different layers of accounts. When there are many layers involved, the investigation process becomes much more complicated," he said when speaking after the launch of the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim here today.
In light of this, Saifuddin Nasution emphasised that the first one to two hours after a victim realises they have been scammed is the most critical period for blocking actions to be taken.
"The faster a victim reports it, the better. The first hour or two is the most crucial because a report to the 997 hotline (NSRC) allows us to immediately 'earmark' (block) the funds," he said.
He added that the NSRC process involves three main steps: block, investigate, and return while prompt calls allow for account freezing actions to be executed before funds are moved further into the account layers.
Saifuddin noted that 35,322 complaint calls were received as of last January, with a total of RM1.44 million successfully seized through early freezing actions.
"The increase in the number of calls serves as a benchmark for public confidence, especially among victims, to report to the NSRC when these scams happen to them. That is what matters - instilling public confidence is a very important task," he added.
Operating 24/7, the NSRC is under the supervision of the Home Ministry and led by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) in collaboration with other core agencies, including Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and the National Financial Crime Centre (NFCC).
Saifuddin added that throughout 2025, the NSRC recorded significant achievements in protecting the interests of online financial scam victims. The center handled 146,167 complaint calls last year and implemented freezing actions on 138,915 involved accounts.
He said that as a result of this rapid response, a total of RM34.05 million was saved from falling into the hands of syndicates.
"Furthermore, the NSRC recorded a significant surge in the return of funds to victims through the earmarking process, rising from RM508,479.39 in 2024 to RM6,649,171.03 in 2025," he said. - BERNAMA