On October 14, police in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, revealed details of a cross-border fraud operation raided inside the disused resort. A total of 40 people were nabbed at the scene, including 34 Chinese nationals. Officers seized 82 mobile phones, three laptops, and detailed Chinese-language scam scripts used by the operators.
The syndicate relied on the classic impersonation scheme. Scammers posed as Chinese police officers and prosecutors, connecting with Chinese victims via video conferencing apps. They terrified targets by claiming they were implicated in serious criminal offenses, before offering to help "resolve the case" as a pretext to defraud them. Victims were not limited to mainland China, as Chinese citizens residing in the United States were also targeted. Real law enforcement agencies never conduct formal investigations through video conference apps or ask citizens to transfer money to clear their names.
Investigators also discovered that several suspects had travel records in and out of Cambodia, raising suspicions of ties to scam networks there, though police noted that specific links remain under investigation. It also raises a worrying question: as enforcement tightens in places like Cambodia, some syndicates may be relocating elsewhere in Southeast Asia and using abandoned properties as cover.
Those lured across borders with the promise of quick money inevitably face harsh legal consequences. For Chinese nationals living at home or abroad, the safest response to any self-proclaimed officer demanding a video call to "clear your record" is simply to hang up.
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