Disguised as Malaysian lawyers, online scammers target fraud victims seeking help

"Have you lost money to online scams? We provide Professional fund recovery support consultation and no upfront fees," reads a Facebook post published on January 16 by an account under the name "Albert Ding, Lee & Partners", a law firm based in the southern state of Johor.

The attached video features a man offering a legal consultation service for victims of scams who have lost more than 1,500 Malaysian ringgit (US$384).

According to the Meta Ad Library, the video was run as an advertisement starting on February 16 on platforms including Facebook Messenger and Instagram. 

Image

Screenshot of the false post taken on February 19 with a red X added by AFP

Other posts on Facebook circulating since January 2026 appear to pose as advertisements offering aid to scam victims from another law firm, NSI Advocates & Solicitors.

Another Facebook page offering a similar service told AFP they represent the Kuala Lumpur branch of a Hong Kong-based law firm, Zain&Co. In a chat via the Telegram messaging app, the purported lawyer offered to arrange an in-person consultation for a 800 ringgit (US$205) fee.

Image

Screenshots of the false posts taken on February 18, 2026, with red Xs added by AFP

Malaysia's Home Ministry said the country recorded its largest financial scam losses in three years, with RM2.77 billion ($707 million) wiped out in 2025 alone, online news outlet Malay Mail reported (archived link). 

Officials warned the threat from scammers was "fast-growing and increasingly sophisticated", with the main types being romance scams, e-commerce fraud and bogus investment schemes.

Scams posing as legitimate law firms offering money recovery services are also on the rise in Malaysia, with police receiving reports from victims who were lured by social media ads claiming expertise in digitally tracing lost funds (archived here, here and here).

The Royal Malaysia Police's Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), which handles fraud cases, has said there is no guarantee money lost to scams can be recovered, and urged victims to verify the legitimacy of a lawyer through the Malaysian Bar Association (archived here and here). 

Ezri Abdul Wahab, president of the Malaysian Bar, told AFP on February 20 legal practitioners do not operate as "recovery agents", nor do they guarantee results.

Lawyers in Malaysia may assist clients in pursuing the recovery of lost funds in appropriate circumstances, such as by initiating civil proceedings, advising on legal remedies, or liaising with relevant authorities, Ezri said.

"The Malaysian Bar views the impersonation of lawyers and the proliferation of fraudulent recovery schemes as a serious threat not only to the public but also to the integrity of the legal profession and the administration of justice.

"Victims of scams are often subjected to a second layer of exploitation by those falsely claiming legal expertise," he added.

'Unauthorised representation, impersonation'

An inspection of the imposter Facebook pages found they were all created between December 2025 and January 2026.

The page posing as Albert Ding, Lee & Partners uses the company's genuine logo as its profile picture, but was only created on December 28, 2025. The genuine Facebook page for the law firm, which is linked on its official website, was created on March 28, 2020 (archived link).

Checks of Albert Ding, Lee & Partners' "About Us" page found no one matching the man seen in the circulating Facebook video.

A spokesperson for Albert Ding, Lee & Partners referred AFP to an official statement dated January 15, 2026, stating that it "expressly disclaims any responsibility or liability for communications, transactions, or consequences of any kind arising from unauthorised representation or impersonation" (archived link). 

Meanwhile, Nik Saghir & Ismail Advocates & Solicitors, whose logo features the abbreviation NSI, addressed the circulating posts in a statement on its official Instagram account on December 29, 2025 (archived link).

The imposter accounts are not associated with the firm, it said, adding that it "has not authorised or appointed any third party, agent, or consultant for online scam-related matters or otherwise".

A representative from Zain & Co told AFP on February 16 that its services are available only through its official website, warning that clients should not engage with third parties promoting the firm via Facebook advertisements (archived link).

AFP previously debunked posts offering recovery services posing as the Malaysian police's scam investigation unit, as well as other imposter accounts purportedly providing passport and visa application services and "test-free driving licenses".