Malaysia Pulse delivers breaking news, politics, business, sports and lifestyle coverage from Malaysia and Southeast Asia — trusted, timely and independent.
Ho Chi Minh City police have dismantled criminal networks smuggling foreign nationals into Vietnam to establish online fraud operations, arresting 26 suspects and seizing hundreds of computers and mobile phones across eight cases.
Authorities have remanded a woman and her suspected accomplice for a fortnight as investigations proceed into what police believe was a fabricated kidnapping orchestrated to extract RM18,000 in ransom payments.
The MACC has uncovered a coordinated fraud scheme in which company owners, agents and accountants misused personal data to illegally claim approximately RM9 million from a government employment incentive programme.
Police in Pekan have arrested a workshop owner, mechanic and cleaner suspected of distributing counterfeit medical certificates fraudulently bearing a government medical officer's credentials.
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Malaysia experienced a dramatic surge in online scam losses to RM2.97 billion in 2025, nearly double the previous year. Investment frauds accounted for the largest share, while phone scams remained the most common threat.
Google has sued a suspected Chinese cybercrime operation accused of using its Gemini AI chatbot to craft spam messages and malicious code. The group sent 2.5 million fraudulent texts to Android users in May.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation is ramping up efforts with Southeast Asian law enforcement to shut down scam compounds and organised crime networks operating throughout the region.
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Investigators have identified fictitious staff and falsified records connected to a RM9 million employment scheme in what appears to be a significant graft operation.
The MACC has identified RM9.01 million in fraudulent claims involving 143 companies under the Daya Kerjaya 2.0 employment incentive scheme. Operations are set to commence next week targeting 320 workers nationwide.
Central Java police have arrested 39 suspects—Indonesians, Nepalese and Myanmar nationals—for running an international cryptocurrency investment scam targeting 133 victims in the United States, netting $2.32 million.
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Penang authorities have dismantled three transnational fraud networks in coordinated operations, detaining 32 individuals suspected of involvement in large-scale scamming activities.
Authorities in Labuan have remanded 56 foreign nationals and one Malaysian citizen over involvement in a sophisticated scam operation targeting South Korean residents.
Penang police have shut down three international scam networks and detained 32 suspects, including four Malaysian nationals, following raids on illegal call centre facilities.
Myanmar's security forces have stepped up demolition of illegal buildings used for online scam and gambling operations, with hundreds of structures already torn down across major fraud hubs.
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Malaysia's Road Transport Department has suspended its online vehicle ownership transfer service nationwide effective immediately, citing widespread fraud concerns that prompted the decision.
Silicon Valley law firm Fenwick & West has agreed to pay $54 million to resolve claims from FTX customers who accused the firm of enabling the cryptocurrency exchange's massive fraud scheme.
Vietnam has sold luxury Hermes handbags seized from convicted property tycoon Truong My Lan for more than US$500,000, part of efforts to recover funds from a massive fraud involving Saigon Commercial Bank.
Security forces in Makkah have apprehended four Indonesian nationals operating a digital scam peddling counterfeit Haj services. Investigators recovered forged pilgrimage cards and fraud equipment from the suspects, who now face prosecution.
Goldman Sachs will pay US$500 million to resolve a shareholder lawsuit stemming from the 1MDB scandal. Shareholders alleged the bank misrepresented its involvement in the fraud and overstated risk controls.