Malaysia: Foreign Identities Are Used to Cover up Gambling Syndicates' Online Activities - pmp

By Arijit Roul - 18 Jun, 2025 More about the author

In Malaysia, syndicates pay foreigners who allow their personal information to be used for SIM card registrations.
These SIM cards help syndicates set up gambling websites and manage advertising on popular social media networks.
Operations often happen inside condominiums with tight security measures, sometimes involving influencers to pull more users into gambling.

Royal Malaysia Police state that use of foreign identities hides the true operators, making detection and tracking difficult. To get many SIM cards, syndicates offer foreigners payment in exchange for their identification documents. SIM cards support many illegal services, such as running websites, managing online accounts, and spreading adverts. Police say investigations become complicated because these SIM cards don’t show who really controls the operation. Whenever authorities block a SIM card, syndicates simply use a new one registered with a different person’s name.

Evolving Tactics of Gambling Syndicates Challenge Law Enforcement Efforts

Syndicate groups usually carry out activities from condominiums with strong security, and members often carry more than one SIM card each. Moving locations is common for these groups, and influencers get hired to grow the reach of gambling promotions. Recent tactics include working with influencers who have many followers to advertise gambling platforms, making it harder for police to stop the syndicates. Complete online processes, no face-to-face meetings, and only digital payments keep these illegal setups running even with strict local rules.

Police find it hard to stop illegal activities through phone companies, as service blocking doesn’t always happen immediately. As syndicates change their methods, police warn that regulations may not work alone, and better teamwork with other agencies and telecoms is needed.