SHAH ALAM - Scammers are taking advantage of digital links to execute their deceitful schemes, putting Malaysians at risk of losing millions of ringgit.
Experts are sounding the alarm, urging Malaysians to use common sense and remain vigilant to protect themselves from these widespread threats.
Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) LINK manager Vijayadurai Singgatore highlighted several psychological tactics that scammers use to create panic and fear.
He said scammers triggered fear and induced panic, prompting impulsive reactions from victims.
Scammers, he said would misuse terms like "authorities," "police," "bank agencies," and "media" to instill fear.
Vijayadurai also stressed the importance of using common sense, which he noted was becoming increasingly rare.
"We have to think, if I am a criminal offender, will someone call me or arrest me?
"No one will call you and say that you are suspected of money laundering. It’s like telling you to run away. So it is always good to apply some common sense and think," he said.
He said this during a panel discussion entitled "Trust in the Age of Digital-Everything – War Against Scam" held at CelcomDigi Hub.
On the modus operandi used by scammers, Vijayadurai said they would pretend to transfer calls between supposed authorities, like from a bank to the police, to increase the urgency and enhance the perceived legitimacy of their schemes.
"Again, think about it, can they really transfer a call from a bank branch to the police station? It doesn’t make sense," he added.
He also emphasised on the importance of self-discipline.
He cautioned against trusting unknown callers, advising people to verify information directly with banks using official contact numbers available on their websites or by visiting a branch.
"Nobody is monitoring what we are doing and how we are behaving online. It’s more on self-discipline and how we protect ourselves.
"Banks have their dedicated contact numbers listed on their websites. You can call them directly or visit the nearest branch for any information.
"Scammers will ask you to transfer your money to a "safe" account. Don’t trust them. Your money is safe as long as you don’t click unauthorised links or follow third-party instructions," he said.
Meanwhile, Malaysiakini Head of Operations Tham Seen Hau said scammers do not discriminate by education level or income.
She noted that contrary to the stereotype that only less educated people fall victim to scams, surveys revealed that high-income individuals were often targeted.
She said even professionals fall victim to sophisticated scams that use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to impersonate people.
"Scams are very realistic and anyone can be fooled.
"Based on some of the stories we covered, we see that even professionals fall for the trap because it is done in a very realistic way, using AI to impersonate people," she said.
Tham called for empathy towards scam victims, noting that shame and self-blame often prevented people from reporting these crimes.
She said society needed to be more empathetic to the victims and try to de-emphasise the stigma because people do not want to come forward to report as they were already traumatised.
She also highlighted the media's role in raising awareness about scams, despite the challenges.
"Whenever we report scam stories, the attention we get is lesser than crime stories with violent elements.
"We need to put more thought and work together to come up with more programmes to fight against scams," she said.
Meanwhile, Commercial Crime Investigations Department Assistant Director ACP Lai Lee Ching disclosed alarming statistics, with Malaysians losing about RM1.2 billion to scammers this year.
She said awareness and education about scammers were the first layer of protection.
"It is alarming not only in Malaysia but also in all countries in the world.
"The first layer to save ourselves from the scammers is to have awareness and educate more people on the modus operandi of scammers," she said.
Despite being a police officer, Lai revealed that she often received scam calls and messages.
However, she stressed that the only way to curb scam activities was by being vigilant.
She added that collaboration was essential because the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) alone could not effectively combat scammers.
She said it was crucial for both government and private agencies to work together.
The National Scam Awareness Survey 2024 Report by CelcomDigi revealed that despite high awareness and access to various information sources about scams, many Malaysians have still fallen victim to scams, fraud or deception.
This was shown through 7,881 responses indicating that respondents had fallen victim to some form of scam.
The most common types of scams experienced by Malaysian adults included requests for personal information (22 per cent), bank account fraud (nine per cent), fraudulent purchases (nine per cent) and false accusations of crime (nine percent).