1. Request for pre-payments for goods or services without prior face-to-face contact must be handled with care. Incidents of fraud often occur in a scenario of pre-payment via Western Union or other similar service provider or through payment apps. Further, fraudulent companies often rely on non company-specific email in their correspondence, using services of Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail or similar.

Registration with the Malaysian Company Register

1. A legitimate company doing business in Malaysia must be registered with the Companies Commission Malaysia (Company Register)
2. It is strongly recommended to verify if this is the case for a specific company directly via their e-service (http://www.ssm.com.my/en/index.php)
3. The basic online account, limited to information on company name and number is free of charge. Additional information will be available for a small fee. It is crucial to determine whether the company name, address and the company number in the register are consistent with the information provided by the company. Company registration number should be always identified on the invoice.
4. A detailed advisor is already available on the website of High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur under Trade & Commerce Segment in Trade Advisory for Indian Importers and Exporter.

Telephone Numbers/Address provided

1. Companies that only provide a cell phone number or operating through whats-app or similar kind of communication apps are often related to cases of fraud. In Malaysia, cell phone numbers begin with: 010, 011, 012, 013, 014, 015, 016, 017, 018 and 019. With regards to location, a simple internet search may help verify whether the address provided is likely to be true, although a positive result is no guarantee of trustworthiness. Caution should be used if the address shares location with a hotel, shopping centre or other public buildings, and also if the company only has a PO Box address.

1. A credible trading partner is likely to hold a membership at a relevant industry association in Malaysia. Some key industry associations are listed here below:
   • Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) http://www.fmm.org.my/
   • Electrical and Electronics Association of Malaysia (TEEAM) http://www.teeam.com/
   • The Malaysian Palm Oil Association (MPOA) http://www.mpoa.org.my/
   • Malaysian Rubber Products Manufacturers’ Association (MRPMA) Phone: +603-5631 6150
2. Further information on industry associations can be obtained via Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) website http://www.matrade.gov.my/en/foriegn-buyers-section/69-industry-write-up-products .

   Phone (00) 603 – 6207 7077 - (Toll free) 1800 88 7280

   • Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation, e-mail: info[at]matrade[dot]gov[dot]my

1. Various Chambers of Commerce present in Malaysia or in the ASEAN region can be contacted for further assistance. Some of the leading Chambers of Commerce/Business Associations/Business Councils (some are Indians) are listed below through which you can check the authentication/reputation of a company:-
   1. National Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Malaysia (NCCIM), Web: www.nccim.org.my
   2. Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (MAICCI), Web: www.maicci.org.my
   3. Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (KLSICCI), Web: www.klsicci.com.my
   4. Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM), Web: www.fmm.org.my
   5. The Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry of Kuala Lumpur & Selangor (KLSCCCI), Web: www.chinesechamber.org.my
   6. Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM), Web: www.acccim.org.my
   7. Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MICCI), Web: www.micci.com
   8. Kuala Lumpur Malay Chamber of Commerce (KLMCC), Web: www.klmcc.org

REPORTING OF INCIDENTS AND ASSISTANCE

Malaysian Authorities

The Commercial Crime Investigation Department, under the Royal Malaysian Police is the relevant authority for handling cases of commercial fraud in Malaysia.

Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department,
Royal Malaysian Police, Level 33, Tower 238,
Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur.
Tel: 03-26101222, Fax: 03-26101000
Operations Room: 03-26101599
E-mail ID:- rmp[at]rmp[dot]gov[dot]my

Furthermore, the Cyber Security Malaysia, department under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation runs the Malaysia Computer Emergency Response Team, dedicated to providing help for cases of cyber security incidents. Web reporting can be done at http://www.mycert.org.my/report_incidents/online_form. html .

MyCERT urges the public to be cautious and avoid falling prey to these fake offers or rewards and to immediately file a police report if they encounter or become a victim of such scams.

- URL: https://ccid.rmp.gov.my/semakmule/

- Google Play Store: Check Scammers CCID

1. The public can also contact the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) through the JSJK Information Line at 013-211 1222, or the JSJK Fraud Response Center at 03-2610 1559 or 03-2610 1599.
2. Using the SEMAKMULE platform to help you check bank accounts and phone numbers involved in commercial crimes.
3. People can also contact the concerned company’s email IDs and contact numbers for clarification when in doubt about an offer.

In general, MyCERT advises device users to perform updates based on the latest security announcements by vendors and follow security best practice policies to determine which updates should be used. For more information, MyCERT can also be contacted through the following channels:

Legal Advice

Last, if need be, specialised Malaysian lawyer/law firms can be hired for assistance. The Malaysian Bar Council, body of legal practitioners, can be found at http://www.malaysianbar.org.my/

The public is advised to be extra vigilant in safeguarding their personal information and downloading files or applications from unverified sources onto mobile devices. Users of financial services also have an important role to keep themselves informed of emerging threats through advisories issued by financial institutions, BNM and other authorities, and taking precautions to protect themselves. Information on the latest threats and measures that individuals can take to protect themselves against evolving threats can be obtained from the Amaran Scam Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/amaranpenipuan/

Account holders who encounter suspicious transactions involving their bank accounts should immediately:

1. Notify their banks
2. Contact the following numbers:
   • The Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) Scam Response Centre at 03-2610 1559/1599
   • BNMTELELINK at 1-300-88-5465
     (This will facilitate immediate measures by CCID in coordination with BNM and banks to help protect affected accounts) and
3. Lodge a police report to facilitate investigation.

(DISCLAIMER: The above information is suggestive in nature and Mission shall not be deemed responsible for any legal disputes arising out of it. The above list is not an exhaustive measures or options.)