Malaysian police dismantle love scam and fake cryptocurrency exchange scam syndicates, arresting 13 foreigners.

Malaysian police arrested 13 foreign nationals—11 Chinese men, one Chinese woman and one Taiwanese man aged 24 to 36—in a raid on a residence in Taman Kota Shahbandar, Malacca, on November 4 over alleged involvement in online fraud. The group is accused of using Telegram, QQ Chat and Soul to lure Chinese victims through romantic relationships and false promises, then directing them to trade on a fictitious cryptocurrency exchange that touted high returns. Authorities seized 12 laptops, one desktop computer, 26 mobile phones and a router worth about 50,000 ringgit; victim losses are still being tallied. The suspects are detained until November 8 pending investigation. The case highlights how fake exchange platforms remain a common vector for crypto-related scams targeting Chinese-speaking users, with the next watchpoint being the total losses disclosed and whether charges are filed after the detention period.