13 Foreigners Held Over Melaka Love Scam, Fake Crypto Exchange

Police have crippled a syndicate suspected of running a Melaka love scam and a non-existent cryptocurrency exchange, arresting 13 foreigners in a raid on a house in Taman Kota Shahbandar, Bernama reported.

Melaka Tengah District Police Chief ACP Halim Abas said the raid was carried out at about 3pm on Wednesday (Nov 4).

Melaka love scam raid

Those detained were 11 Chinese men, a Taiwanese man and a Chinese woman, aged between 24 and 36, according to the police chief.

Police seized 12 laptops of various brands, a desktop computer, 26 mobile phones and a Unifi router during the raid, with a total estimated value of RM50,000.

Halim said the syndicate members had entered Malaysia by air from the Philippines, Taiwan, Laos and China between February and September last year.

“All suspects are believed to have used tourist visas to enter the country,” he said, adding that the group was believed to have been operating from the premises for about three months before the raid.

How the syndicate operated

According to police, the syndicate targeted Chinese nationals through the Telegram, QQ Chat and Soul apps, deceiving victims with sweet talk and false promises.

Victims were then asked to transfer money through cryptocurrency exchange transactions that promised lucrative returns. Police said the exchange did not exist.

The total losses suffered by victims are still being investigated, Halim said.

Suspects remanded until Nov 8

All 13 suspects have been remanded for four days until Nov 8 to assist investigations under Section 420 of the Penal Code and Section 15(1)(c) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.

Police advised members of the public to check suspicious phone numbers or bank accounts through the Semak Mule portal at semakmule.rmp.gov.my.

Halim added that scam victims should immediately contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) through the 997 hotline.

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