PETALING JAYA: The Higher Education Ministry says it will help out students who have inadvertently become victims of mule accounts, but those who knowingly commit the offence will be handed over to the police.
Its Deputy Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said some students were unaware that they were mule account holders, while those who did it willingly may be facing financial issues.
Disciplinary action taken against student mule account holders will depend on whether the student was aware that they were committing the crime, he said.
Action, he added, would be taken on a case-by-case basis.
“If they were unaware, then we will help them. If the student is guilty, we will leave it to the police to investigate.
“Based on the outcome of the investigation, we will take action according to the respective university’s disciplinary guidelines and the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971,” he said after launching the Global Young Leaders Summit 2024 programme at Universiti Malaysia Terengganu yesterday.
He said some students who fell prey to scammers could have been facing financial issues.
“These offers (to become mule account holders) can look attractive to students, especially those from the B40 community,” said Mustapha, adding that the ministry would organise awareness programmes for students to prevent them from falling prey to such scams.
The ministry, he said, would also send reminders to student affairs departments (in public universities) to be wary of these kinds of scams.
He advised students to conduct thorough checks on the background of the sender or bank (that sent the message) before getting involved in anything.
“The offer might be attractive, but we do not know who is behind it,” said Mustapha, adding that students must be aware there were parties out there trying to take advantage of them to make a profit.
Malaysian Association of Private Colleges and Universities (Mapcu) president Datuk Parmjit Singh said raising awareness was crucial to ensure that students do not fall victim to unscrupulous parties.
Many such students are first-time bank account-holders and they may be swayed by the promise of “easy” cash in return for the use of their accounts, he added.
“By understanding the risks and consequences, students can protect themselves and practise prudence and responsibility in operating their accounts.
“While we have not received reports of this being a widespread issue among students of Mapcu member institutions, it is nevertheless an issue that is taken seriously,” he said.
Parmjit added that Mapcu members encourage their students to access Bank Negara’s National Fraud Portal and JanganKenaScam.com website for guidance on how to avoid falling victim to predators looking to exploit their accounts as well as scammers offering all sorts of rewards and services in return for information.
He also said Mapcu, in close collaboration with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, has initiated the establishment of Anti-Corruption Student Groups at institutions to educate and raise awareness about the dangers and legal implications of illegal activities, including involvement in mule accounts.
On Aug 15, Bukit Aman said university students were among the 208,000 mule account holders in Malaysia, lured by cash offers from scammers of up to RM1,000.
