Malaysia, KUALA LUMPUR: Despite last year's commercial crime losses rising to RM1.3 billion (S$540 million), police matched the tricksters and con artists stride for stride with a 62.9 per cent solving rate.

Various scams and rackets were uncovered as specific police task forces acted swiftly on reports lodged by victims. In some cases, it was learnt that even government officials were involved.

One success saw 27 men and five women arrested in April last year in connection with the Internet parcel scam. Three of the suspects were local women while the rest were Africans.

The scam saw the conmen duping victims into paying "postage fees" for parcels that did not exist.

They would befriend the victims before telling them later that they are sending them gifts. The victims would then be told that the parcel was stuck at the Customs or post office and that they needed to top up the processing fee, which would be paid directly into the account of the conmen.

Police received scores of reports involving this scam.

Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department public relations officer Assistant Superintendent Abdul Malek Abdul Ghani said most of the Africans arrested had entered Malaysia on a student visas.

"The arrests were made in various locations around Kepong after extensive surveillance and intelligence gathering," he said, adding that 21 laptops and 37 mobile phones were among items seized.

Malek was commenting on the New Straits Times front page report yesterday, which stated that cheats swindled victims of more than RM1.3 billion through various methods, as reported to the Commercial Crimes Department last year.

Detailing police's success against cheats last year, Malek said lovebirds were also not spared.

In November, police nabbed a man and four women in Sibu for cheating couples in a wedding photos scam.

Once the couples had paid the fees, the group would disappear and not deliver on their promises. After receiving several reports, police busted the group.

Another group stole cheques from mail and post boxes before using a special ink to change the name and value of the cheque.

The syndicate members then deposited the cheque into their own account via the cheque deposit machine. Losses totalled RM500,000 before the syndicate was crippled by police in November.

Eight men and three women were arrested in that case.

Also in November last year, a syndicate recruited locals to make random calls impersonating bank officers, police and Bank Negara officials.

Once they had obtained the victims' bank particulars, money was withdrawn from their accounts. Losses were estimated at almost RM2 million before police arrested 13 men and recovered 45 automated teller machine cards, 29 passbooks, two cheque books, four bank transaction receipts and three cheques with a total value of RM1.04 million.

Another group altered the numbers on forecast number tickets with a razor and gum to make them resemble the winning ticket.

They would then sell them to unsuspecting victims for thousands of ringgit each.

Police arrested five men and two women, all Indonesians, in connection with the case. They found 51 pieces of jewellery, three watches, nine mobile phones and five forecast number tickets that had been altered.

Malek advised the public to be wary and to think twice if given the opportunity to make easy money.

"There is no such thing as easy money. Do not be greedy."