Glossary of terms
Glossary of terms
Account takeover
Account takeover is when a scammer gains full unauthorised control of your bank, email, or social media account using stolen access.
Read thisAdvance-fee fraud
Advance-fee fraud requires you to pay an upfront fee to receive a much larger promised sum, such as a loan or prize, that never arrives.
Read thisAffidavit
An affidavit is a written statement of facts signed under oath, used as evidence to support a court application.
Read thisAMLA 2001
AMLA 2001 is the Anti-Money Laundering Act, which criminalises laundering scam proceeds and lets authorities freeze or seize crime funds.
Read thisAnti-money laundering (AML)
AML refers to the laws and checks banks use to stop illicit money, including scam proceeds, from being moved or disguised as legitimate.
Read thisAnton Piller order
An Anton Piller order lets a court-appointed team search premises and seize evidence without warning, to stop it being destroyed.
Read thisAPK file
An APK file is an Android app installer file; scammers trick victims into sideloading a fake one that can take remote control of the phone.
Read thisBalance of probabilities
Balance of probabilities is the civil court standard of proof, meaning a claim is more likely true than not.
Read thisBank Negara Malaysia
Bank Negara Malaysia is the central bank that regulates banks and payment systems, and handles complaints about financial institutions.
Read thisBankruptcy notice
A bankruptcy notice is a formal demand requiring a debtor to pay a court-ordered debt or face bankruptcy proceedings.
Read thisLegal Aid Bureau
The Legal Aid Bureau is a Malaysian government department offering subsidised legal help to eligible lower-income applicants.
Read thisBlockchain explorer
A blockchain explorer is a free website that lets you look up any wallet address or transaction on a public blockchain.
Read thisBNMTELELINK
BNMTELELINK is Bank Negara Malaysia's contact centre for public enquiries and complaints about banks and financial institutions.
Read thisBurden of proof
Burden of proof means the duty to prove a claim, and in civil scam cases it usually falls on the person bringing the claim.
Read thisBusiness email compromise
Business email compromise is a scam where a fraudster impersonates an executive or supplier by email to trick a business into wiring money.
Read thisCause of action
A cause of action is the specific legal basis and facts that give you the right to sue someone, such as deceit or breach of contract.
Read thisAttachment of assets
Attachment of assets is a court process to seize or hold a debtor's property so it can satisfy a judgment or claim against them.
Read thisCause papers
Cause papers are the formal court documents that start a lawsuit, setting out who is suing whom, and over what.
Read thisCCID (JSJK)
CCID is the Royal Malaysia Police department (Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Komersial) that investigates commercial crime, including scams.
Read thisChargeback
A chargeback is a dispute you raise with your card issuer to reverse a card payment, available for card transactions but not bank transfers.
Read thisCheating
Cheating is dishonestly deceiving someone to hand over property or money, and is a core criminal offence in most scam cases.
Read thisCivil vs criminal case
A civil case seeks compensation from the wrongdoer, while a criminal case is prosecuted by the state and can lead to punishment.
Read thisCMA 1998
The CMA 1998 governs communications and online conduct in Malaysia, covering offences like misusing networks for fraudulent messages.
Read thisConstructive trust
A constructive trust is a court-imposed arrangement where someone holding your traced money is deemed to hold it on trust for you.
Read thisContingency fee
A contingency fee is a payment arrangement tied to the outcome of a case, generally restricted for litigation in Malaysia.
Read thisCosts order
A costs order decides who pays the legal costs of a case, and how much, usually favouring the winning party.
Read thisCriminal breach of trust
Criminal breach of trust is a Penal Code offence where someone entrusted with property or money dishonestly misuses it.
Read thisCrypto wallet
A crypto wallet is software or hardware that stores the keys needed to access and move cryptocurrency you own.
Read thisDamages
Damages is the money a court orders one party to pay another as compensation for loss caused by a wrong.
Read thisDefendant
A defendant is the person or company being sued in a civil case, or facing charges in a criminal case.
Read thisDisbursements
Disbursements are out-of-pocket costs a lawyer pays on a client's behalf during a case, such as court filing and process fees.
Read thisDisclosure order
A disclosure order requires a party to reveal specific information or documents, such as asset details or account records.
Read thisDishonestly (legal meaning)
Dishonestly, in law, means acting with intent to deceive or cause wrongful gain or loss, a required element in most fraud offences.
Read thisDuitNow
DuitNow is Malaysia's instant bank transfer and QR payment system, letting money move between banks in seconds using a phone number or ID.
Read thisE-filing
E-filing is the electronic system used to submit court documents to Malaysian courts instead of filing them physically.
Read thisEnforcement of judgment
Enforcement of judgment means using legal tools to make a losing party actually pay after a court judgment is granted.
Read thisEx parte
Ex parte means a court hearing where only one side is present, usually granted urgently before the other party is notified.
Read thisCrypto exchange
A crypto exchange is a platform where people buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrency, usually after identity verification.
Read thisFiling fee
A filing fee is the amount paid to the court to formally start or file documents in a case, set by court rules and scale.
Read thisFinancial Services Act 2013
The Financial Services Act 2013 is the main law governing banks in Malaysia, giving Bank Negara Malaysia its regulatory powers.
Read thisForgery
Forgery is making or altering a false document to deceive, and it is a criminal offence under Malaysian law.
Read thisFPX
FPX is an online banking payment gateway that transfers money directly from your bank account to a merchant, with no card-style chargeback.
Read thisFreeze order
A freeze order is a court order that stops money in a bank account from being moved, spent, or withdrawn while a case is decided.
Read thisFreezing order
A freezing order, also called a Mareva injunction, stops a defendant from dissipating assets generally, not just one bank account.
Read thisGarnishee order
A garnishee order directs a third party, usually a bank, to pay money it holds for the debtor straight to you instead.
Read thisHigh Court
The High Court hears the largest civil claims and most serious criminal cases in Malaysia, and also hears appeals from lower courts.
Read thisInducement
Inducement is the act of persuading someone to do something, such as hand over money, through deception or false promises.
Read thisInsolvency
Insolvency means a person or company cannot pay their debts as they fall due, which can affect how much a claim recovers.
Read thisInter partes
Inter partes means a court hearing where both sides are present and each can respond to the other's arguments.
Read thisInterim payment
An interim payment is a partial payment made before a case fully concludes, on account of an amount expected to be awarded.
Read thisInvoice fraud
Invoice fraud is a scam where a fake or altered invoice, often impersonating a real supplier, redirects payment to a scammer's account.
Read thisJudgment
A judgment is the court's formal decision at the end of a case, stating who is right and what remedy, if any, is granted.
Read thisKnowing receipt
Knowing receipt makes someone liable if they received your scammed money knowing, or having reason to know, it was obtained by fraud.
Read thisExchange KYC
Exchange KYC is the identity verification a crypto exchange collects, and it is often key to tracing who controls an account.
Read thisKnow Your Customer (KYC)
KYC is the identity verification process banks use to confirm who a customer is, meant to make mule accounts harder to open.
Read thisLegal aid
Legal aid is free or subsidised legal help provided to people who cannot afford a private lawyer, based on eligibility criteria.
Read thisLetter of demand
A letter of demand is a formal written notice from a lawyer asking someone to pay or return money by a set date before a lawsuit is filed.
Read thisLimitation period
The limitation period is the legal time limit within which you must file a claim, after which the right to sue is generally lost.
Read thisLove scam
A love scam is when someone builds a fake romantic relationship online to gradually manipulate a victim into sending money.
Read thisLegal Profession Act 1976
The Legal Profession Act 1976 is the law that governs lawyers in Peninsular Malaysia, including their conduct and regulation.
Read thisMacau scam
A Macau scam is a phone impersonation con where fake police or officials pressure victims into transferring money to a 'safe account'.
Read thisMagistrates Court
The Magistrates Court is the lowest subordinate court in Malaysia, hearing smaller civil claims and less serious criminal matters.
Read thisMareva injunction
A Mareva injunction is a court order freezing a defendant's assets so they cannot be moved or spent before a case is decided.
Read thisMule account
A mule account is a bank account used to receive and move scam proceeds, often opened by someone recruited or paid by criminals.
Read thisNo win no fee
'No win no fee' means paying a lawyer only if the case succeeds, an arrangement generally not permitted for litigation in Malaysia.
Read thisNorwich Pharmacal order
A Norwich Pharmacal order compels a third party, like a bank or platform, to disclose information identifying an anonymous wrongdoer.
Read thisNSRC 997
NSRC 997 is Malaysia's hotline for reporting an active scam, run jointly by the police, Bank Negara Malaysia and the banks.
Read thisOmbudsman for Financial Services
The Ombudsman for Financial Services (OFS) resolves eligible disputes between consumers and financial institutions as an alternative to court.
Read thisOTP / TAC
OTP/TAC are one-time codes used to authorise a transaction; sharing one with anyone effectively hands them control of that payment.
Read thisPenal Code section 415
Section 415 of the Penal Code defines cheating: deceiving someone to make them hand over property or act in a way that causes harm.
Read thisPenal Code section 420
Section 420 of the Penal Code is the main charge for scams in Malaysia, covering cheating that dishonestly induces delivery of property.
Read thisPenal Code section 424
Section 424 of the Penal Code covers dishonestly or fraudulently hiding or removing property, often relevant once a debtor hides assets.
Read thisPhishing
Phishing is a fraudulent email or message that impersonates a trusted organisation to trick you into revealing login details or clicking a link.
Read thisPlaintiff
A plaintiff is the person or company that starts a civil lawsuit, seeking a remedy from the defendant.
Read thisPower of attorney
A power of attorney is a legal document letting someone act on your behalf, such as signing documents or managing a claim.
Read thisPreservation order
A preservation order requires a person or bank to keep specific assets or records intact so they are not lost before a case is heard.
Read thisProceeds of crime
Proceeds of crime are money or assets obtained through criminal activity, which can be traced, seized, or frozen by authorities.
Read thisQuantum (amount claimed)
Quantum is the legal term for the exact sum of money being claimed in a lawsuit, and it affects which court hears the case.
Read thisBank recall
A bank recall is a request your bank sends to pull back a transfer before it is withdrawn, working only if funds remain in the account.
Read thisRecovery scam
A recovery scam targets people who already lost money, promising to get it back for an upfront fee.
Read thisRestitution
Restitution means returning specific money or property to the person it was wrongfully taken from, rather than paying compensation.
Read thisSecurities Commission Malaysia
The Securities Commission Malaysia regulates capital markets and investments, and is the right channel for unlicensed investment scams.
Read thisSeed phrase
A seed phrase is the set of words that gives full access to a crypto wallet, and anyone who has it can take everything.
Read thisSessions Court
The Sessions Court handles mid-range to larger civil claims and more serious criminal cases, sitting below the High Court in Malaysia.
Read thisSettlement
A settlement is an agreement between parties to resolve a dispute without going through a full trial.
Read thisSIM swap
A SIM swap is when a scammer transfers your phone number to their SIM card, letting them intercept your calls and OTP codes.
Read thisSmall claims
The small claims procedure is a simplified, low-cost court process for smaller monetary claims, designed for people without a lawyer.
Read thisSmishing
Smishing is phishing carried out by SMS text message, often impersonating a bank, courier, or government agency with a malicious link.
Read thisStatutory declaration
A statutory declaration is a written statement of facts you sign before an authorised officer, declaring it true under the law.
Read thisThird-party debt order
A third-party debt order redirects money a third party owes the defendant, such as a bank balance, to pay a judgment debt.
Read thisTort of deceit
The tort of deceit is a civil wrong where someone knowingly made a false statement, intending you to rely on it, causing you loss.
Read thisTracing order
A tracing order is a court process to follow scam money through bank accounts, identifying where it went even after it was moved.
Read thisUnjust enrichment
Unjust enrichment lets you recover money someone received at your expense without legal justification, even without a formal contract.
Read thisVishing
Vishing is a scam phone call impersonating a bank, police officer, or official, pressuring you to reveal details or transfer money.
Read thisWrit of seizure and sale
A writ of seizure and sale lets a court bailiff seize and sell a debtor's property to pay off a court judgment against them.
Read thisYBGK
YBGK is Malaysia's National Legal Aid Foundation, a body that provides legal aid to eligible people who cannot afford a lawyer.
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