Commercial crime investigation department (CCID) director Ramli Yoosuf said 73,240 cases of fraud were reported, with online fraud accounting for 35,368 cases, involving a loss of RM1.57 billion.

Other offences included RM546.39 million in 1,448 cases of criminal breach of trust; RM5.29 million in 1,060 cases of loan sharks; 950 cases of counterfeit money (RM1.16 million); 720 cases of cybercrime (RM32.7 million); 128 cases of forgery (RM10.13 million); 62 cases of misuse of property (RM66.29 million); two VCD/DVD cases; and 91 cases of miscellaneous crimes (RM1.6 million).

“In terms of charges, 16,813 cases, or 40% of the total investigated cases, have been prosecuted in court. The remainder is still under investigation,” he told a press conference at the Bukit Aman CCID office today.

Ramli added that the department also focussed on preventive measures to keep the public informed about commercial crime threats and the latest scam tactics.

He said that with the Chinese New Year celebrations approaching later this month, the public has voiced concerns about fake websites selling goods and data phishing tactics that could lead to significant losses.

He also said the department had recorded 1,812 cases involving losses exceeding RM65 million last year related to data phishing.

“I advise mobile phone users not to click on any links received and to verify the message through phone or video calls to ensure authenticity,” he added.