The victims claim they were unaware of the operations until they received notices from Tenaga Nasional Bhd, leaving many in financial and emotional distress.
At a press conference today, they voiced their frustrations and concerns.
KC Teo, 57, who is wheelchair-bound, said he “owes” TNB RM300,000 after discovering that his tenant had used a different identity to rent his house.
Although Teo, who relies on rental income, has discovered his tenant’s actual identity, he would still be forced to pay the utility company.
“TNB should go after him and not me, I am innocent,” he said.
Another victim, who wanted to be known as Ganeson, only discovered that his tenant was mining Bitcoin illegally after receiving a call from TNB for failing to settle a RM73,000 bill.
Although he has paid up RM70,000, he said landlords should not bear the burden of such fraud.
A businessman, who only wanted to be known as Tom, said 10 TNB accounts were registered under his company using fraudulent Companies Commission of Malaysia documents.
These accounts amassed RM700,000 in unpaid bills, he said.
Another victim, who identified herself as Loo, discovered in April 2024 that her MyKad had been used to rent a shoplot that was used to mine Bitcoin illegally.
The “tenants” went on to rack up a bill of RM196,000.
“I have never been to that place. I got a call from TNB. I then found out that my ‘tenants’ rented a shoplot using my MyKad and used a fake stamping certificate and tenancy agreement.
“They used my identity to rent the place to run Bitcoin activities and all TNB could do was offer me the option to pay in instalments,” she said.
Call for accountability
Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, who was at the press conference, urged TNB to form a task force to investigate Bitcoin activities.
“TNB needs to look at the merit of these cases instead of just saying (to victims) to pay in instalments,” he said, adding that he would raise the issue in Parliament.
“We need fairness for all, and this matter must be looked into. There must be shared accountability among property owners, tenants, and electricity suppliers.”
He also said he will propose amendments to the Electricity Supply Act 1990 during the parliamentary meeting next month.
These amendments, he said, aim to strengthen enforcement against fraudulent activities, improve customer verification processes, and mandate monitoring systems for unusual power consumption.