KUALA LUMPUR: The number of victims falling prey to online financial scams is on an upward and worrying trend. To counter this scourge, the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) has come up with guidelines to counter this problem.
Below is the statement in full.
As announced by the Prime Minister’s Department on Oct 14, the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) has been established as a command centre to coordinate rapid response for online financial scams. This includes coordinating faster tracing of stolen funds and enforcement action against criminals.
The NSRC is a joint effort between the National Anti-Financial Crime Centre (NFCC), the police, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), as well as financial institutions and the telecommunications industry. It brings together the resources and expertise of these institutions to combat financial scams more quickly and effectively.
1. What kind of scams does the NSRC handle?
The NSRC focuses on online financial scams – that is, instances where victims notice unauthorised transactions from their bank account and instances where victims are tricked into transferring funds via online financial services.
This may involve various types of scam methods, including phishing scams, Macau scams, malware attack scams, package delivery or parcel scams and love scams.
Victims of scams are encouraged to contact their bank’s hotline or the NSRC at 997. Please see Question 3 on steps to take to get help and Question 11 on ways to contact your bank’s hotline.
2. How can the NSRC help victims? Upon receiving a report, the NSRC will coordinate a rapid response by law enforcement agencies, financial institutions and telecommunication companies to:
– help prevent additional financial losses for the victim;
– attempt to trace stolen funds;
– investigate the crime; and
– pursue enforcement action against criminals.
3. I have been scammed. What should I do?
If you fall prey to a scam, take the following steps to protect yourself and other victims from further losses.
– Contact your bank or 997 immediately. If you notice unauthorised or unintended bank transactions, immediately call your bank’s 24/7 hotline or the NSRC’s 997 hotline (reachable 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, including public holidays). It is important that you call your bank or 997 as soon as you discover that you’ve been scammed to prevent further losses. This will allow the banks to intercept the stolen funds. This could help save you thousands, though there is no guarantee you will get your money back.
– Lodge a police report. In addition to alerting your bank or the NSRC’s 997 hotline, you must make a police report at the nearest police station as soon as possible. This is important to allow authorities to launch a formal investigation. In the interest of time, you should reach out to your bank or the NSRC’s hotline before making the police report.
– Contact your bank even if it is too late. Even if the scam incident happened some time ago (e.g., more than 24 hours), you should still report the scam to your bank. The NSRC’s 997 hotline is an emergency response number. As such, the NSRC might not be able to provide a fast response in such a situation as chances of recovery are slim. However, it is still important for you to report the scam to your bank to help authorities take action against the criminals.
4. My bank account has been blocked. Can I call the 997 hotline?
No. The NSRC’s 997 hotline is an emergency response number to help victims who have just discovered unauthorised or unintended banking transactions in their bank accounts. It is not a call centre to make complaints.
If your bank account has been blocked, please contact your bank to explain your actual situation. Your bank account might have been blocked due to suspicion that criminals have used it as a mule account.
If you have any complaints or feedback concerning your bank account, please contact your bank’s complaint unit directly. The details of the complaint unit can be found at bnm.gov.my/regulations/fsp-directory. If you are unsatisfied with the response given by your bank’s complaint unit, you may escalate the matter to BNM TELELINK at bnm.gov.my/LINK.
5. What information do I need to report a scam?
When making a report (to your bank, the NSRC’s 997 hotline or at a police station), you should have the following information ready:
– Brief description of the scam incident (e.g., the chronology of events)
– Your personal details (name, contact, ID, bank account number)
– The scammer’s details (name, contact)
– Transaction details (bank account number(s), amount, time of transfer)
Please be ready to supply evidence to the police, such as screenshots of conversations with scammers.
Note that the NSRC, police, BNM or banks will only contact you if you have reported an incident to them. These institutions will not under any circumstances ask for your personal banking information, such as your username, password, PIN, TAC or OTP.
6. What should I expect after reporting my case?
If you have already reported your case to your bank or the NSRC’s 997 hotline, you should proceed to the nearest police station as soon as possible to make a police report.
After you have lodged a police report, the investigating officer from PDRM assigned to your case will provide you with his/her contact details. This investigating officer may contact you to obtain more information to help the law enforcement agencies take further action against the criminals. For instance:
– Transaction receipts
– Website address (URL) shared by scammers
– Communication with scammers (e.g., call log, emails, chats on SMS / WhatsApp / Telegram / WeChat / e-commerce platforms / other platforms)
You may follow up on the status of your case by:
– Checking on the status of your police report online at https://sso.rmp.gov.my; or
– Contact the police investigating officer assigned to your case
If you need to be contacted, the NSRC, the police or your bank will not ask for your personal banking information, such as your username, password, PIN, TAC or OTP.
7. I reported my case to my bank earlier. Can I lodge another report to the NSRC?
If you have already reported your case to your bank, there is no need to make another report to the NSRC. Where necessary, your bank will work together with and contact the NSRC directly.
8. With the NSRC now in place, do I still need to lodge a police report?
Yes.
In addition to alerting your bank or the NSRC about your situation, you must also make a police report. This is important to allow authorities to launch a formal investigation.
In the interest of time, you may reach out to your bank or the NSRC’s 997 hotline before making the police report at the nearest police station.
9. I called the NSRC at 997 but could not get through. What should I do? You can get in touch directly with your bank’s 24/7 hotline.
If you have already reported your case to your bank, there is no need to make another report to the NSRC.
If you need to be contacted, the NSRC, the police or your bank will not ask for your personal banking information, such as your username, password, PIN, TAC or OTP.
10. I noticed a suspicious transaction in my bank account at 2 a.m. What should I do? You can get in touch directly with your bank’s 24/7 hotline.
If you have already reported your case to your bank, there is no need to make another report to the NSRC.
11. How can I contact my bank’s 24/7 hotline? You can find the 24/7 hotline number on the back of your bank card or your bank’s website. Alternatively, you may also refer to the list of bank hotline numbers at https://www.abm.org.my/directory.
If you have already reported your case to your bank, there is no need to make another report to the NSRC.
If you need to be contacted, the NSRC, the police or your bank will not ask for your personal banking information, such as your username, password, PIN, TAC or OTP.
12. Can I still reach out to the CCID Scam Response Centre at 03-2610 1559 / 1599?
There is no need to. If you notice an unauthorised or unintended banking transaction in your bank account, immediately contact your bank’s hotline or the NSRC’s 997 hotline. The NSRC has taken on the role previously assumed by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) Scam Response Centre.
13. I reported my case to the CCID Scam Response Centre two weeks ago. Who should I call to get an update?
When you reported your case, the CCID Scam Response Centre would have requested you to lodge a police report. You may follow up on your case by checking on the status of your police report online at https://sso.rmp.gov.my or by contacting the PDRM investigating officer assigned to your case.
14. Can I follow up with the NSRC on my case by calling 997?
No.
The NSRC’s 997 hotline is an emergency response number, not a call centre to follow up on cases.
You may follow up on the status of your case by:
– Checking on the status of your police report online at https://sso.rmp.gov.my or
– Contact the police investigating officer assigned to your case
15. Would the NSRC be able to get back my money? How long do I need to wait? It is important that you call your bank or the NSRC’s 997 hotline as soon as you discover that you’ve been scammed. This could help save you thousands, though there is no guarantee you will get your money back. Once your report has been made, the NSRC will seek to make real-time interception of the stolen funds and take enforcement action against the criminals.
You may follow up on the status of your case by:
– Checking on the status of your police report online at https://sso.rmp.gov.my or
– Contact the police investigating officer assigned to your case
16. Where can I find out more information on financial scam tactics and ways to prevent them?
For more info on the type of scam and how to prevent it, please visit and follow the Amaran Scam Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AmaranPenipuan or your bank’s website.
