Which channel for which situation
| Your situation | Report to | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Money has already moved out of your account | 997 (NSRC) and your bank's fraud line, then a police report within 24 hours | First 24 hours guide |
| A bank account or phone number looks suspicious, before or after paying | Semak Mule | How to check a scammer's number |
| Scam SMS, spoofed calls, or other telco-channel fraud | MCMC | See below |
| A specific problem with your own bank account or card | Your bank's fraud line | Banks directory |
| No money lost yet — a suspicious message you want on record, or to warn others | Police report or MCMC, lower urgency | See below |
If money has already moved — 997 is your first call
997 (the National Scam Response Centre, NSRC) is the number that connects police, Bank Negara Malaysia, MCMC and the banks in one call, so it's the first call once money has actually moved. The full step-by-step — what to say, what to have ready, and what happens next — is covered in the first 24 hours guide; this page won't repeat it.
Suspicious account or number — Semak Mule
Before you pay someone, or if you're trying to work out whether an account that already took your money is a known mule account, use Semak Mule, PDRM's official lookup and reporting portal. Full instructions are in how to check a scammer's number — including how to report an account there yourself.
Scam SMS, calls, or telco-related fraud — MCMC
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is the regulator for telecommunications-channel issues — things like spoofed caller IDs, mass scam SMS blasts, and fraudulent use of telco services. If the scam reached you primarily through a phone call or SMS and you want the telco angle investigated (separately from reporting a bank account on Semak Mule or a financial loss to NFCC), MCMC is the right channel.
Complaints go through MCMC's Consumer Redress Portal (aduan.mcmc.gov.my) — choose the Online Content sector for scam websites and posts, or Telecommunication for spoofed calls and scam SMS. The MCMC Consumer Care Centre hotline is 1800-188-030 (8.30am–5.30pm, Monday to Friday). MCMC asks that you complain to your own service provider first for service issues; for scam content and fraud calls, the portal takes the report directly. (Channels verified against mcmc.gov.my, 27 Aug 2026.)
Bank-specific fraud — your bank's fraud line
If the issue is about your own account or card — an unauthorised transaction, a request to freeze the account, or activating the in-app kill switch — call your bank's fraud line directly rather than a general channel. Numbers and what each bank's kill switch covers vary; check the banks directory.
Lodging a police report at a station
If money has moved, lodge a police report. Official sources conflict on whether 997 now replaces it: NFCC and Bank Negara Malaysia both say a station report is still required (NFCC: within 24 hours, or police follow-up cannot proceed), while the Government Spokesman said in March 2026 that 997 alone is enough. Nobody has reconciled the two, so do it anyway — it is the cheap side of the uncertainty. Bring the same evidence pack: your IC, account details, the scammer's account/number, the amount, transaction time, and screenshots.
No financial loss yet — still worth reporting
If nothing has been paid — for example, you received a suspicious message, spotted a likely scam listing, or just want it on record so investigators (or the next person) can see the pattern — this is lower urgency than the 24-hour window that applies to an actual loss. You can still:
- Lodge a police report to have it on record, without the same time pressure
- Report it to MCMC if it arrived via SMS or call
- Check the associated account or number on Semak Mule
- Run the message or offer through our free checker
FAQ
Do I need to call 997 if no money has moved yet?
No. 997/NSRC exists to coordinate an urgent freeze while money is moving or has just moved. If you haven't paid anything, there's no transfer to intercept — a police report, and an MCMC report if it came by phone or SMS, is the appropriate channel instead.
I already reported the account on Semak Mule — do I still need a police report?
Yes, if you've lost money. Semak Mule is a lookup-and-flag tool for accounts and numbers, not a substitute for a police report. NFCC requires a police report within 24 hours of a loss for follow-up action to happen, regardless of what else you've already reported.
Which channel actually gets my money back?
None of them guarantee recovery. Acting fast through 997 and your bank — so funds can potentially be frozen before they're moved through further mule accounts — gives the best realistic chance. A police report and the other channels support the process and the wider fight against scams, but speed on the money side is what matters most for your specific case.