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Kena scam kerja luar negara? What Malaysians can do in the first 24 hours after paying

Tips · 2026-10-19 · 11 min read

If you have kena scam kerja luar negara, meaning you paid an "ejen" for an overseas job and the replies have stopped, the first hours count most. Call the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) on 997 between 8 am and 8 pm, or your bank's hotline after 8 pm. Then save every piece of evidence, report the visa side to the right government, and pay nothing more. This page walks you through it in order.

Hour one: stop the money moving

The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) tells online scam victims to call the National Scam Response Centre (Pusat Respons Scam Kebangsaan, NSRC) on 997. The line runs from 8 am to 8 pm every day.

After 8 pm, PDRM says to call your bank's hotline instead. Do not wait until morning to make the first call. Use the number printed on your card or in your banking app, never a number the "agent" gave you.

Before you dial, note the date, time, amount and receiving account of every transfer. If you paid in cash, write down where, when and to whom.

Ask the officer what happens next, including whether you should also make a report at a police station. You can read the PDRM notice on the 997 NSRC hotline to check you have the right number.

Which number to call, and when

Different problems go to different offices. Here are the official contacts in one place.

The Australian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur says its own staff cannot help with general visa enquiries, because Home Affairs manages visa applications. Save its time and yours by using the Global Service Centre number for visa questions.

Hours two to six: keep every piece of evidence

Scammers often delete chats, close social media pages and change numbers once they have been paid. Capture everything before it disappears.

• Screenshots of every WhatsApp, Telegram or WeChat chat, showing the phone number or username at the top.
• The "offer letter", "contract" or "visa approval" they sent, exactly as received.
• Bank transfer receipts, card statements and any cash receipts.
• Links to the job advert or social media page, plus screenshots in case it is taken down.
• Names, phone numbers, email addresses and any office address they gave.

Keep the originals on your phone and back up copies somewhere else. Do not argue with the scammer or warn them you are reporting them. That only gives them time to vanish.

Is it really a scam? Signs the officials point to

Sometimes a slow agent is just slow. Test your situation against the official warnings.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs travel advisory tells Malaysians to reject any offer with interviews only through messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram or WeChat. It also warns about a company with no physical address or official website you can verify, and about being told to travel on a tourist or transit visa with a work permit "arranged later".

The Australian High Commission in Malaysia lists more signs: a large upfront cash payment, being told to set up a company and get an ABN, only a handwritten contract, a promise of permanent residence, cash-only pay, being told no Tax File Number is needed, and pay below the Australian minimum wage. Its visa scam list adds promises of a sure visa or job, contact through social media, and an agent who refuses to share the application in ImmiAccount.

A few facts settle most doubts. Australian visas are not for sale, and only official channels give them. No one can promise you an Australian visa, whatever they charge. Australia does not issue "work permits" or visa labels, so anyone selling one is running a scam.

Check the "visa" they sent you

Many scams send a document that looks like a visa grant to keep you paying. You can check it without asking the agent.

For Australia, Home Affairs says ImmiAccount is the only official website for applying for a visa, and a grant that cannot be found in VEVO is probably fake. Emails claiming to come from Home Affairs whose address does not end in .gov.au are scams. Read the Home Affairs visa scams page for the full list.

For New Zealand, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) has a Visa Verification service for checking whether a visa is real. Official INZ email addresses end with immigration.govt.nz or mbie.govt.nz. INZ never asks for visa fees to be paid into a bank account; it takes card payments on its forms or payment at an approved Visa Application Centre. Its guide to protecting yourself from immigration scams covers the rest.

If the "visa" came with a trip based on an Electronic Travel Authority, it was never a work visa. Our guide on ETA work offers and the three-year exclusion risk explains why that route can cost you far more than the fee.

Your first 24 hours, step by step

1. Call 997 (8 am to 8 pm) or your bank's hotline (after 8 pm) and give the transfer details.
2. Stop all further payments, including "final processing fees", "insurance" or "ticket deposits".
3. Screenshot every chat, document and receipt, and back them up.
4. Ask the NSRC officer whether to also make a report at a police station, and take your evidence if you go.
5. If an Australian visa or work trip was offered, report it to Border Watch at www.homeaffairs.gov.au/report.
6. If someone has already travelled, contact Wisma Putra's consular line the same day.
7. Check any "visa" in VEVO (Australia) or with INZ's Visa Verification service (New Zealand).
8. Warn friends or family who got the same offer, and do not pass the agent's details on to anyone else.

If someone is already overseas

Some people only realise it is a scam after they land. A Ministry of Foreign Affairs advisory gives Wisma Putra's consular contact for Malaysians in trouble abroad: +603-8887 4000 in office hours, +603-8887 4570 after office hours, or email bkrm@kln.gov.my.

When you call for a family member, have their full name, MyKad or passport number, the city they are in, and the last time you heard from them.

If they are in Australia on a visitor visa or ETA, they should not start the "job". Home Affairs says you can't work in Australia on an ETA or Visitor visa, and the High Commission warns that working in breach of visa conditions can lead to detention, removal and a three year exclusion period.

Report the visa side to Australia or New Zealand

The Australian High Commission asks people to report suspected visa or work scams to Australia's Border Watch at www.homeaffairs.gov.au/report, and you can do it anonymously. It is separate from your report in Malaysia, so do both.

Also check whether the "agent" was ever allowed to give visa help. In Australia, a registered migration agent has a Migration Agents Registration Number (MARN) and is listed on the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) register. Someone without a MARN or OMARA listing is not legitimate. In New Zealand, anyone giving immigration advice must be licensed by the Immigration Advisers Authority unless exempt, and its public register shows who is licensed.

Common mistakes after a job scam

• Paying a "release fee" to get your money back. A second request for money is part of the same scam. Stop paying.
• Waiting until morning. If it is after 8 pm, call your bank's hotline straight away.
• Deleting the chat out of shame. Your messages are your evidence. Keep them all.
• Trusting a "recovery agent". Anyone who contacts you offering to recover the money for a fee deserves the same doubt as the first agent. Use only the official contacts above.
• Sending more documents. Scamwatch advises never sending your passport or identity documents to an employer or recruiter unless you are certain they are genuine.
• Flying anyway on a tourist visa. Wisma Putra says to get a valid employment visa before leaving Malaysia and never to travel for work on a tourist visa.

Before you apply again

A scam does not end your plan to work abroad. It means checking the next offer before any money moves, and knowing the real costs: our list of ringgit costs to plan before you book a flight shows the official amounts.

Before you pay anyone for the next offer, run through JobsAbroad Indonesia's checks for an Australian job offer and JobsAbroad Pakistan's red flags for a fake interview call. Both are written for workers in other countries, but the warning signs are the same for Malaysians.

Genuine sponsored jobs work differently. In Australia, the sponsoring employer must pay all costs of becoming a sponsor and nominating you, and cannot pass them on to you. In New Zealand, employers cannot charge you fees for a job or make you pay their recruitment costs, even through a third party. Our breakdown of visa fees in ringgit and what the employer must cover shows which costs are yours and which are not.

Wisma Putra also tells Malaysians to verify an employer through Wisma Putra or the relevant Malaysian mission. Read our guides to the Skills in Demand (482) visa and the New Zealand AEWV so you know what a real sponsored offer looks like.

When you start applying again, deal with employers through open listings such as our manufacturing jobs in Australia and New Zealand, and read what Malaysians should prepare as tighter visa rules spread. A clear CV from Build AI CV lets you apply to the employer yourself, with no middleman in between.

Frequently asked questions

What is the NSRC 997 number for?

NSRC 997 is the National Scam Response Centre hotline (Pusat Respons Scam Kebangsaan). PDRM tells online scam victims to call it, and it operates from 8 am to 8 pm every day.

What if I was scammed late at night?

PDRM says to call your bank's hotline after 8 pm, when the 997 line is closed. Use the number on your card or in your banking app, and have your transfer details ready.

Will I get my money back?

No one can promise that, and anyone who does is a warning sign. Acting fast and reporting through 997 or your bank gives you the best chance of the transfer being looked at quickly.

How do I report an Australian visa scam from Malaysia?

The Australian High Commission asks people to report suspected visa or work scams to Border Watch at www.homeaffairs.gov.au/report. You can make the report anonymously, and it is separate from reporting in Malaysia.

A family member is overseas and the job was fake. Who can help?

Contact Wisma Putra's consular line for Malaysians in trouble abroad: +603-8887 4000 in office hours or +603-8887 4570 after hours. You can also email bkrm@kln.gov.my with their details and location.

How can I tell if the visa grant they sent me is real?

For Australia, check it in VEVO; a grant you cannot find there is probably fake. For New Zealand, use INZ's Visa Verification service, and remember INZ never asks for visa fees by bank transfer.

Key takeaways

• Call NSRC 997 from 8 am to 8 pm, or your bank's hotline after 8 pm.
• Stop paying, and keep every chat, receipt and document as evidence.
• Report Australian visa or work scams to Border Watch, anonymously if you prefer.
• Wisma Putra's consular line helps Malaysians stuck abroad after a fake offer.
• Check any "visa" in VEVO or with INZ's Visa Verification service.
• Genuine sponsoring employers cannot pass their sponsorship or recruitment costs on to you.

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