Cops arrest 50, cripple another Macau Scam syndicate

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have crippled a Macau Scam syndicate following the arrest of 50 people in Johor Baru.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department deputy director (cyber crime and multimedia investigations) SAC Datuk Mohd Kamaruddin Md Din said police conducted six raids in the Iskandar Putri district in Johor on Wednesday.
"50 of them were detained — 27 men and 16 women, all are believed to be Chinese nationals," he said in a statement today.
The remaining suspects arrested were five Taiwanese men and a local man and woman.
Kamaruddin added the two locals were believed to be the main culprits behind the syndicate's operations, including renting houses and hiring drivers for the members.
"Police seized a luxury car, 46 mobile phones, 10 iPads, 21 laptops computers, five modems, six routers as well as travel documents and scripts," he said, adding that those arrested have been remanded for four days to assist in investigations.
Kamaruddin said the syndicate was detected using the facilities Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to pose as employees of telecommunications companies to lure unsuspecting victims to transfer money to the syndicate's designated account.
The case have been classified as fraud under Section 420 of the Penal Code.