Malaysians who suspect they are being scammed must immediately call the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) hotline at 997, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil has urged.

He stressed that scammers can wipe out between 80 to 90 per cent of a victim’s savings within just three to ten minutes by rapidly transferring funds through mule accounts. Acting within the first hour is critical to stopping the money trail.

The NSRC now operates 24 hours daily from the headquarters of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in Cyberjaya, following its relocation from Bank Negara Malaysia.

Since its establishment in October 2022, the centre has handled more than 146,000 scam-related calls, frozen tens of thousands of bank accounts and successfully saved over RM34 million belonging to victims.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail also confirmed that coordinated enforcement efforts have significantly improved fund recovery rates, with millions prevented from being permanently lost to scam syndicates.

Authorities advise victims to immediately call 997, inform their bank and lodge a police report to maximise the chances of freezing suspicious transactions before the money disappears.