Kuala Lumpur Emergency Card

Tourist Police / Authorities

• Kuala Lumpur Tourist Police
  +60 3 2149 6590
  Jalan Hang Tuah — 24/7, English
• Bank Negara Malaysia (consumer)
  1300 88 5465
  bnm.gov.my — bank / exchange complaints

First 10 minutes if something happens

1. 1.Get to a safe, public spot (café, hotel lobby, shop) and call Police / Emergency on 999 if anyone is hurt or in immediate danger.
2. 2.Freeze cards immediately in your bank app (do this before calling the bank — it's faster). Revoke Apple Pay / Google Pay from a trusted device if your phone was taken.
3. 3.Change the password on your primary email from a trusted device, then sign out of every other session. Email is the master key to everything else.
4. 4.Contact Kuala Lumpur Tourist Police on +60 3 2149 6590 to file a report — you'll need the reference number for insurance, banks, and your embassy.

Full 8-step checklist at gacs.app/safe-traveller/kuala-lumpur

Top 5 scams to watch for

1. 1. Taxi meter refusal at Bukit Bintang / KLCC
   'Meter tak jalan' — driver quotes RM40 for a RM10 trip.
   Avoid: Use Grab exclusively — fixed fare shown before booking, safe and cheap.
   If it happens: Refuse to pay above metered rate; get out and take Grab.
2. 2. Credit card skimming at restaurants
   Card taken away 'to pay'; details cloned and charged in bulk 48h later.
   Avoid: Never let your card leave your sight — insist the terminal comes to the table (contactless is standard in Malaysia).
   If it happens: Freeze card immediately via banking app.
3. 3. Fake monk donation around Petronas Towers / KLCC
   'Buddhist monk' hands you a card and demands RM50+ donation.
   Avoid: Do not accept anything from someone in robes on the street.
   If it happens: Return the item; walk away.
4. 4. Currency exchange short-change on Jalan Bukit Bintang
   Sign shows one rate; you get 15% less with a hidden 'commission.'
   Avoid: Use ATMs from major banks (Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank, HSBC).
   If it happens: Refuse the transaction if the rate is different from expected.
5. 5. Timeshare 'lucky winner' at KLIA / hotel lobbies
   'You won a free holiday!' becomes a 3-hour high-pressure timeshare pitch.
   Avoid: Skip all scratchcards, 'lucky draws,' and 'holiday winner' desks.
   If it happens: Under Malaysian TAOA 2010, signed timeshare contracts have 10 working days cooling-off period.