GEORGE TOWN: Penang police dismantled five scam call centres, including one that impersonated the US department of justice and the FBI, during raids carried out last week.
Penang police chief Dennis Lim said the centres, operating from rented bungalows across the state, were raided on July 16 and 17, resulting in the arrest of more than 100 people from eight countries.
He said the syndicates primarily targeted victims in China through investment scams, while one group targeted people in the US and Canada by impersonating law enforcement officers.
“They operated here, but their victims are overseas,” Lim told a press conference today.
Police displayed folders bearing the logos of the DoJ and the FBI, as well as what appeared to be uniforms of the Ottawa Police Service, which the syndicate allegedly used.
Handwritten scripts seized during the raids showed that callers were coached to pose as fraud investigators, question victims about purported unauthorised transactions, and then transfer them to another person posing as an investigating officer.
Lim said police did not, at this stage, believe the five call centres were linked. However, investigations so far indicate that they have been operating in Penang for only one or two months.
Police believe the syndicates may have relocated to Penang following a major crackdown by Bukit Aman in the Klang Valley two months ago.
“It is possible they fled here. This is, of course, still under investigation,” he said.
The call centres were operating from bungalows in areas such as Batu Ferringhi, Tanjung Bungah, Pulau Tikus, Gelugor and Bukit Mertajam.
Lim said police would continue to work with foreign authorities to determine whether those arrested in the scam operations were wanted in their home countries, while also investigating possible immigration offences.
He urged homeowners and property agents to conduct proper background checks before renting out their properties.
“Conduct background checks on prospective tenants. If you use an agent, check them, too. Don’t simply accept anyone who wants to rent your house,” he said.
Lim also said police arrested a 37-year-old man in Teluk Air Tawar on July 20 and seized 3.1kg of MDMA, a stimulant, with an estimated street value of RM470,000.
The suspect is being investigated under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
