Govt considering tightening laws to protect Malaysians from work scams - PM Anwar

BANGKOK: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government was considering tightening laws to protect Malaysians from being conned by syndicates offering fake job offers abroad.

He said there were many who became scam victims as the syndicates were hiding abroad, including in Myanmar.

"We have taken a rather tough stand. We also urge Malaysians to be more vigilant and not easily deceived.

"The Communications and Digital Ministry and the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) are taking necessary measures, including tightening laws," he told Malaysian reporters after ending his two-day work visit here.

Media outlets recently reported that five Malaysian jobseekers, claiming to have been deceived into entering Myanmar and then forced to work for a cyber scam syndicate, were rescued and were currently in Bangkok to be brought home.

The police have received 262 police reports about 336 Malaysians who have been tricked by work scams and are currently being held in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar as of Jan 27.

Most of these syndicates would trick their victims using job ads on social media, including Facebook, offering positions as customer service officers abroad with lucrative salaries.

Those tricked by the offers would contact agents through WeChat, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

After securing the victim's consent, the agent would inform them that they would handle the expenses of travelling to the work destination and upon arrival, all the victim's travel documents and phones would be seized and destroyed.

Victims would then be detained and controlled strictly and forced to work either as a scammer, or in online gambling operations.

-- BERNAMA