Since the early days of the internet, scamming has become one of the main businesses, probably the first one to adapt to the new technology. Internet crimes are becoming more and more of a problem. New technologies like mobile apps and wearable technology make scam and fraud easier, since criminals can access new ways of reaching their victims. People are already used to watching news every day about online dating scam victims, or people who get their money stolen when buying something online. But why is it that usually scammers come from places far far away like Malaysia?

There are many factors that make online scamming thrive in certain places, and these scam factors often make scammers harder to catch. It is no secret that Malaysia is becoming popular in the internet scamming business, and so far they have been getting away with crimes, impacting and targeting victims worldwide.  Here are some of the factors driving the trend.

1. Distance turns scamming into a video game. For many of the people who dedicate their lives to online crime, the distance and the whole internet experience makes things appear unreal, kind of a virtual game. So being the criminal or a young man in Kuala Lumpur and his victim an American or British woman he has never seen makes things easier. There is no proximity or identity with the victims, not even when they have talked for hours on chat or on the phone about their personal lives and their most intimate secrets. It is still someone they only see on the screen, and just like in a video game, nobody feels sorry for the guy who gets hurt. Once they get their money, the game is over.

2. Malaysia regulations make it too easy. Foreign embassies in Kuala Lumpur receive dozens of complaints every day of people being duped online. Malaysia is a high fraud risk nation, ranked number 6 country in terms of cybercrime threat risks. Some of this may have to do with the fact that opening bank accounts and arranging money transfers is easy in Malaysia, and nobody really cares to do any tracking. It is also known that Nigerians (who are pretty experienced in online scamming) enter Malaysia easily on a student visa and continue the business from there.

3. Technology means productivity, more earnings. New gadgets bring easier ways to keep up with work in a more efficient way for everyone, including Malaysian scammers and internet criminals. Kuala Lumpur is a modern city where people have access to the best technology, so you can easily picture a scammer sitting out in a café and letting his mobile do the job.  Criminals stay connected with their victims and are mobile.

4. Internet favors anonymity. How hard can it be to spot an online scammer? It can be more difficult than you might think.  Internet fraudsters are good at what they do, and anyone can be a victim.  It usually requires the training and resources of a reputable private investigator to conduct a dating background check to figure out if someone is real or not.  But, surprisingly, many people choose not to get the background check, and simply hope for the best.  This is a bad strategy and trying to recover losses after being scammed is extremely difficult.  Scammers use false identities, they work in crime rings that involve many other people, like those who pick up the money and even some have infiltrated people in banks and money wiring companies. With so many ways to erase their tracks, how could an online criminal be caught?  They usually don’t.

5. People around the world on the same internet.  The internet is a great tool and resource for law abiding citizens, but it also creates economic opportunity for the immoral, criminal minds in developing countries such as Malaysia.  Let’s face it, when you have no job and nothing to eat, but access to the internet, you will get creative.  In developing countries like Malaysia and Nigeria, most people know that law enforcement is corrupt and inefficient, and likely won’t be catching many internet criminals.  So, the incentive is there to target the “rich” people.

6. Lack of jurisdiction for scam victims.  As many scam victims in Australia, the U.K., U.S. and Canada know, trying to report a crime or go after criminals in countries like Russia, Romania, Malaysia, China, Nigeria or Ghana is no easy task.  Usually their local law enforcement won’t even listen or take the case.  Even if they do, there isn’t much that can be done, because even the FBI, after all, has no jurisdiction in other countries.  Criminals know this and use the fact to their advantage.  They know that even if their victims report their crime and go to law enforcement and go to the media, criminals know they are still probably safe in the masses.  Even if caught, the money is usually long spent.

So, given the above factors and the limited options available for victims, the safest option on the table is prevention.  Be skeptical of anyone you meet online, especially those working, living or traveling in developing countries such as Malaysia.  If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.  Be safe, and don’t be a victim.  If you’re communicating with someone and need evidence, speak to a private investigator with investigators in Malaysia who can verify the facts, so you can be sure the person you’re communicating with is legitimate.

Be cautious and verify – love can cost you a lot more than you think!

C. Wright
© 2014 Wymoo International

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