Parcel Scam and a Frozen Account

How a parcel scam ends in a frozen account

Parcel scams can start with a message. A fake courier, post office or customs notice says your parcel is stuck and you must pay a small fee or verify details.

The link opens a copied website that can steal your banking details or one-time passwords. Your account can then be emptied, used to receive other victims’ money, or both.

Why the freeze lands on you

Once scam money enters the banking system, investigators trace every account it touched. If money went into or through your account, it can be frozen while they follow the trail.

A police officer of Sergeant rank or above can freeze an account straight away, without a court order, if they suspect a link to an offence ^[f1]. That is why the freeze can come before anyone explains anything to you.

The two freeze powers you may meet

The first is the police freeze under section 116D of the Criminal Procedure Code, added in 2024 ^[f1]. It lapses after 18 months if no prosecution is started, and you can apply to the Sessions Court to vary or cancel it.

The second is an order under the Anti-Money Laundering Act, where the Public Prosecutor can freeze accounts suspected of holding money from crime ^[f2]. Ask which power was used: it tells you the time limit and how to challenge it.

What to do in the first hours

Speed matters while money is still moving. Call the National Scam Response Centre on 997 to report the scam and ask for money still in transit to be stopped ^[f3].

Then make a police report and keep the report number. It shows you raised the alarm quickly.

Do not delete anything in a panic, and do not open new accounts to move money around. If the bank or police contact you, note who called, when, and what they asked.

Keep proof that you were tricked

Save the fake parcel message, the link, any call logs, and screenshots of where you typed your details.

Check the Semak Mule portal to see if your account or phone number has been flagged; more than 190,000 accounts have been flagged in recent reporting ^[f4].

Write a short timeline while you still remember: when the message came, when you entered your details, when the money left. Dated screenshots are stronger than memory weeks later.

Victim or suspect: why the line can blur

Being scammed does not automatically clear your account. Money arriving and leaving quickly can draw attention even when you are the victim ^[f4].

That is worrying but manageable. Article 5(3) of the Federal Constitution gives you the right to consult and be defended by a lawyer of your choice ^[f5].

Get advice before you give a detailed statement. A lawyer can check which freeze power was used and help you show clearly that you were deceived.

Sources

1. https://www.parlimen.gov.my/
2. https://www.lawnet.com.my/amla-2001
3. https://www.nsrc.gov.my/
4. https://semakmule.rmp.gov.my/
5. https://www.lawnet.com.my/federal-constitution