In brief
After years of slow growth, the 100‑billion‑dollar Forest City in Malaysia stood empty, housing less than 1 % of its promised population. In July, police raided 32 locations and arrested more than 300 people, uncovering a sophisticated crypto‑scam network that used vacant rooftops and apartments as call‑center hubs. Thousands of computers, phones and laptops were seized, highlighting how ghost towns become playgrounds for modern organized crime. The raids shed light on a larger trend of scams moving from South‑East‑Asian ‘compounds’ to legitimate‑looking developments, threatening investors worldwide. Residents like Kevin and Phillip now live in a city that is shifting from abandonment to a quiet, low‑risk community—behind the façade, however, the threat remains.
From the outside, Forest City looks like a 3D‑printed block on a quiet Malaysian coast. But in reality, it is a massive grey‑market of empty apartments and silent streets.
When the Chinese developers launched the 100‑billion‑dollar project in 2016, they promised a thriving smart city housing 700,000 people. Ten years later, only a handful of people live there, and the buildings stand nearly abandoned and dusty.
In mid‑July, police seized 32 premises in the area and arrested 335 fraudsters—mostly Chinese nationals—taking assets worth about one million ringgit (roughly 245 thousand dollars). Their operations were run from large residential towers and bungalow clusters, using sophisticated call‑center tech to target victims around the world.
Experts say the empty infrastructure of Crown‑own developments draws scammers because they can hide behind the veneer of legitimate business while operating under the radar.
“These operations resemble multinational corporations rather than gangs,” one analyst explained, noting how they use recruiters, IT departments, and money‑laundering specialists. The result is a criminal enterprise that can now command significant influence.
The findings also highlight a long‑standing problem in Malaysia. Earlier decades saw crackdowns on condo‑based scam sites in Johor, Penang and Kuala Lumpur, yet the industry continues to thrive in the background of growing tech hubs.
Residents like Kevin, who works in property sales, warn that scammers operate nearby and urge caution. Meanwhile, Phillip, a tech worker, notes that more people are moving into the complex despite past frauds, attracted by lower prices and quiet streets.
The current raid underscores the broader shift of a global fraud industry—moving from hidden compounds to well‑built cities—raising new challenges for police and the international community.
