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KUALA LUMPUR: The police are urging people to use the online application and the “Semak Mule” website to identify the accounts used by scammers to avoid becoming victims.
Datuk Seri’s Deputy Inspector General Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said the app, introduced in January last year, had paid off, as the public could access it at any time of the day.
In 2019, a total of 28,508 cases of online cheating were recorded resulting in approximately RM2.5 billion in losses involving 18,130 mule accounts.
“In 2018 there were 23,788 cases with RM2.8bil in losses involving 13,513 mule accounts,” he told a news conference after launching the Semak Mule app and a seminar to strengthen the investigation of commercial crimes on Wednesday (October 7 ).
The Semak Mule app can be downloaded through Google Play, he added.
“They can also log into the website (http://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule/) to check if their accounts or others have been used in scams or other fraudulent activities.
“We hope that the public can make full use of the site so that they do not fall victim to scammers,” he said.
So far, a total of nine million people have accessed the web portal, while 120,000 have downloaded the application, he added.
“I advise people to be careful when receiving suspicious phone calls.
Always remember that authorities such as the police will only call to make an appointment and not to explain the cases in detail.
“All matters related to the cases are handled in the respective offices of the enforcement agencies,” he added.
Acryl Sani also urged victims of online scams or cheating cases to come forward and file police reports.
“We want to discover the accounts used by scammers, so they can appear on Semak Mule,” he added.
Police also have a system in place to protect the Semak Mule portal from being attacked by hackers, Acryl Sani said.
“Scam syndicates have gotten more sophisticated and complicated.
“The police, especially the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), must act in accordance with the change in criminal trends.
“The use of the Semak Mule website is in line with such a move,” he said.
Commercial crimes, especially those related to scams and online transactions, are on the rise, given the tendency of people to opt for online purchases, he added.
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