Cover image via Ahmad Ukasyah/New Straits Times
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A Malaysian woman who attempted to recover RM1,500 lost to an online scam later lost a further RM1.2 million after engaging a purported law firm that promised to help recover her money
The case was highlighted by MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong at a press conference earlier this week, 15 December.
"This is basically scammers scamming scam victims," Chong said.
According to Chong, these self-styled 'anti-scam' law firms advertise heavily online, claiming they can recover 90% to 95% of money lost to scams, figures he described as implausible and misleading.
"I have been dealing with many online scam cases, and my results so far are zero recovery. None of the victims who came to see me managed to get back their money," he was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times.
"So how can anyone claim they have a 90% or 95% success rate?"
Chong said his department has recorded two such cases so far, one last year and another this year, both involving victims who had already suffered significant financial losses
In the earlier case, the woman who lost RM1,500 to a scam ended up losing RM1.2 million after engaging a firm that promised to recover her money. In the more recent case, a man who was scammed of RM390,000 paid an additional RM33,000 to what he believed was a legitimate legal firm, only to realise he had been deceived again.
"All their savings are gone, everything is gone. They have been destroyed, and some victims start borrowing from Ah Long to try to recover their money, which only pushes them into deeper trouble," Chong said.
He added that these bogus firms often rely on polished websites, professional-sounding names and bold guarantees to appear legitimate, while exploiting the public's trust in the legal profession.
A senior lawyer who was also present at the press conference cautioned the public to be wary of such advertisements
The lawyer, Tan Sri Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, stressed that legal advertising in Malaysia is strictly regulated under the Legal Profession (Publicity) Rules 2001.
"From what we've seen, these do not look like bona fide advertisements. They look wrong and are inconsistent with what the rules allow," he was quoted as saying by The Star.
Muhammad Shafee noted that many of the advertisements appeared deliberately crafted to target the Chinese community.
"Chinese clients often ask, 'What is the percentage of success?' Anything above 80%, and they are happy to engage you," he said.
"This is a typical way of hooking the Chinese community. Claims like 95% recovery are no joke; they are meant to excite you. They hook you with an attractive story, and once you are deeply involved, they go after you and wipe you out completely."
He also questioned the legitimacy of firms presenting themselves as "cross-border" legal operators.
"They have come in as 'Cross Border Law', which sounds very impressive and suggests they are global and international," he said.
"If you are a genuine cross-border law firm, why use ringgit? The ringgit is not a widely traded currency. This shows their intended victims are Malaysians."
