KUALA LUMPUR: A total of RM8.03 billion in losses from 131,386 commercial crime cases have been reported since 2021, up until September this year, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said.
Although the number of cases reported during the first nine months of the year dropped by 4.6 percent compared to the same period last year, Razarudin said the losses from cases between January and September 2024 increased by 22.6 percent, reaching almost RM2 billion.
"A total of 29,010 cases were reported as of September this year, compared to 30,422 cases during the same period in 2023.
"This represents a 4.6 percent reduction, or 1,412 fewer cases.
"However, total losses recorded from January to September 2024 reached RM1.98 billion — a 22.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year," he said at the monthly assembly organised by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) here.
He said that online fraud, involving six main types of scams — telecommunications, e-finance, e-commerce, love scams, non-existent loans, and non-existent investments — topped the list of reported commercial crimes each year.
"As of September this year, 24,671 cases of online fraud had been recorded, with total losses amounting to RM1.04 billion.
"Between January and September this year, the CCID conducted 17,661 operations and raids, leading to the arrests of 18,506 individuals on various commercial crime offences.
"In terms of investigations, the CCID filed 13,184 charges within these nine months," Razarudin said.
Additionally, he added that 7,267 crime prevention programmes, including exhibitions, lectures, media collaborations, and 'meet & greet' activities, were held nationwide to raise public awareness and help individuals avoid becoming victims of commercial crimes.
Razarudin expressed confidence in CCID's potential to become a respected department in investigating commercial crime cases, particularly online fraud, which has become a major contributor to commercial crime statistics.
"In 2024, the CCID has demonstrated its commitment to combating commercial crime through various initiatives, including investigations, intelligence operations, and prevention campaigns," he added.
Meanwhile, Razarudin warned that commercial crime is becoming increasingly complex with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, which has changed criminals' methods and requires proactive, innovative approaches to counter online scams exploiting these technologies.
"One concerning example is the use of 'deepfake' technology, which allows criminals to create fake content, including videos, images, or audio, to deceive victims," he said.
To address these new challenges, he said that the police are rationalising CCID's staffing by reallocating existing resources to bolster critical functions.
"A total of 691 positions have been reallocated from other departments to meet CCID's needs, while an internal restructuring has involved redistributing 906 positions within the department."