Malaysia’s Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has raised the alarm over a growing trend of university students providing their bank accounts to online fraud syndicates in exchange for quick cash.

Speaking to reporters after launching the ‘Safe Schools Programme’ at Kolej Tuanku Muhriz Form Six in Seremban on Tuesday, Saifuddin said scam networks are luring students with payments of between 1,000 and 2,000 ringgit per account, which are then used as “mule accounts” to receive and launder money swindled from victims.

“The syndicates deposit stolen funds into these mule accounts and later pay a commission to the account holders. We are treating this matter with utmost seriousness,” he said.

The minister said the government has amended the Penal Code to crack down on the misuse of mule accounts, making it a criminal offence to unauthorisedly use, control, or transfer another person’s ATM card, credit card, e-wallet, or other payment instruments.

“We will continue our awareness campaigns so that students and the public understand that allowing someone else to use your bank account is illegal and can result in severe punishment,” he warned.

Saifuddin also underscored the need to build awareness about online scams from the school level, noting that the government has launched the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) hotline: 997, to provide rapid assistance to fraud victims.

He said the Safe Schools Programme aims beyond combating cybercrime, seeking to keep schools free from physical and cyber bullying, gangsterism, sexual harassment, and drugs.

During his visit, Saifuddin also flagged the threat of extremist ideologies infiltrating schools, citing the recent detention of a teenage student in Kedah whose mobile phone was found to contain material related to violent extremism.

“The incident may be isolated, but we are not treating it lightly. Schools must be kept free from ideologies that undermine racial and religious harmony,” he said, cautioning that the spread of hatred and divisive thinking poses a serious threat to social and national stability.