Deputy home affairs minister Jonathan Yasin said more than 18,800 of the cases involved online purchase fraud, while 15,546 were cases of fake loans linked to the purchases.

“Police have made various efforts to tackle the issue and raise public awareness by conducting dialogues and posting notices on social media, television and radio,” he said.

He said police were also working to improve prevention by allowing the public to check the validity of phone numbers and bank accounts that may be tied to criminal syndicates.

He was responding to Su Keong Siong (PH-Kampar), who asked what measures were being taken to curb online fraud.

Su also asked what the police and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) would do in the event a third party allowed its personal bank account to be used by criminal syndicates or fraudsters.

Jonathan said police were working with all relevant parties, including BNM and other banks, to prevent further cases.

Online purchase frauds were among the issues discussed in the Dewan Rakyat today, due to concerns over a rise in cases as more consumers shop online in the midst of the pandemic.