TLDR
- A Malaysian man, Yip Chee Ming, lost his job as a scam caller after failing to deceive any victims during his three-day stint with a scam syndicate.
- Yip had joined a Cambodia-based scam syndicate that targeted victims in Singapore and was linked to losses amounting to approximately RM165 million.
- Despite efforts to seek a lighter sentence, the court ruled that Yip was still responsible for his actions because he had voluntarily joined the syndicate.
There’s a Malay idiom that goes, sudah jatuh ditimpa tangga. It is used to describe a situation where someone who is already experiencing bad luck or hardship is hit with yet another problem.
That was exactly the case for one Malaysian man who lost his job as a scammer due to poor performance and later found himself behind bars for taking up the illegal job.
Yip Chee Ming first learned about a job as a scam caller in October 2024 from a friend identified in court documents as Jason.
Jason told Yip that he was interested in joining the scam centre but was unsure about going alone. As a result, he asked Yip to join him, and Yip agreed.
The duo were later added to a Telegram group by Tang Soon Wah, who was identified as one of the scam syndicate’s leaders. Tang subsequently offered to fly both Jason and Yip to Cambodia to view the scam compound.
Image Credit: Singapore Police Force
According to reports, the scam syndicate was based in Phnom Penh and began operations around September 2024.
Between 3 September 2024 and 5 September 2025, the group, which impersonated government officials to scam Singaporeans, is believed to have been involved in at least 528 reported scam cases, with victims losing about S$52.5 million (RM165 million).
He was promised US$1,800 a month in cryptocurrency
When Yip was first flown to Cambodia to view the compound, he witnessed about 32 callers seated at long tables making scam calls. Each of them was provided with various tools to make the scam more convincing, including mobile phones equipped with AI tools that altered their appearances and digital backdrops displaying the logos of government agencies.
Yip and Jason returned to Malaysia on 21 November 2024 to consider the job offer. Just a day later, Yip agreed to take the job and began working as a fake bank officer.
It is understood that Yip was promised US$1,800 (RM7,344) a month in cryptocurrency and a 1% commission for every victim he successfully duped.
It turned out that Yip wasn't cut out to be a scammer, as he failed to dupe anyone despite following the script provided by the syndicate. After three days without successfully scamming a victim, the syndicate fired him for failing to meet its performance standards.
Image Credit: Singapore Police Force
The court documents did not detail how Yip returned to Malaysia after being fired. After returning home, he later worked as a delivery driver in Singapore in February 2025 before being arrested for his involvement with the syndicate on 9 September 2025.
In court, Yip’s lawyer sought a reduced jail sentence of 13.8 months, arguing that he had cooperated with the authorities and spent only a brief period with the syndicate, during which he was never paid.
However, the judge disagreed, saying that Yip was still responsible because he had willingly joined the scam syndicate.
Featured Image Credit: Singapore Police Force, Utusan Malaysia
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