They’ve Moved: Fraud Rings Hiding in Remote Towns

Scam groups in Malaysia are shifting away from big-city condominiums and moving their operations into smaller, remote towns to stay off the radar. Bera district police chief Superintendent Zulkiflee Nazir said investigators are seeing syndicates rent budget hotels for long stretches and quietly run call-centre style scams from the upper floors.

The trend surfaced after a raid at a budget hotel in Triang last Thursday, where police arrested eight Chinese nationals — including two women aged 28 to 39 — believed to be involved in an investment scam targeting victims in China via Telegram. Early checks point to local collaboration. According to Zulkiflee, a Malaysian suspect is believed to be the mastermind who brought the group to the hotel, handled the bookings and arranged food deliveries straight to their rooms so they rarely needed to go out.

Zulkiflee noted this represents a clear change in modus operandi. Previously, such syndicates preferred high-end apartments and condominiums in major cities. Now they are opting for low-profile locations and budget stays in outstation areas, which makes detection harder and allows them to blend in with local traffic.

During the 2pm raid, police seized several mobile phones and laptops. Although no printed conversation scripts were found, investigators believe the suspects posed as investment advisers or “finance officers” on Telegram to lure victims into fraudulent schemes. The group is thought to have operated quietly from the two-storey hotel since last month, relying on a local contact to manage supplies and logistics.

Police are still compiling the total number of victims and the amount lost. The suspects were remanded until today and are being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating, which carries up to 10 years jail, whipping and a fine upon conviction.

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