People fall for scams for various reasons, including their lack of knowledge, emotional vulnerability, and trust in others. Scammers often use psychological tactics to deceive their victims, such as fear or urgency, making people act impulsively and without thinking clearly. Additionally, people may not be aware of the different types of scams that exist, making them more susceptible to falling for one.
Emotional vulnerability is also a factor, as scammers often prey on people’s fears, insecurities, and desires. Finally, people may trust others too easily, especially if the scammer appears to be an authority figure, a friend, or a loved one. To combat all these, the government is launching an awareness campaign to teach people how to spot and avoid getting scams.
Malay Mail reports that the National Anti-scam Campaign 2023 was launched by Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil on Saturday, 18 February, in collaboration with CyberSecurity Malaysia, CelcomDigi, and Anti-scam Action Coalition (GBAS), with the aim of countering the ever-evolving methods of scam syndicates.
The police have informed us that there are 48 types of scams, including online, phone calls, or physical interactions, and they will keep changing and evolving.
So the most important thing is the public’s reactions toward them and we will work on raising awareness through the campaign.
Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
The minister also stated that various media outlets will be utilized to broadcast anti-scam materials as part of the campaign. According to him, the Kuala Lumpur police chief recommended that the public be reminded about scamming through media broadcasts in order to combat fraud crimes.
Furthermore, the Malaysian government is considering creating an ASEAN-wide framework to regulate data transfer and improve international cooperation among government and police agencies in order to combat scam syndicates. During the ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting in the Philippines, Fahmi reported that all the ministers present agreed that scam and fraud were among their top issues.
He believes that creating a regional framework that applies to all jurisdictions can prevent scam syndicates from exploiting legal loopholes in individual countries.
When questioned about data theft in Malaysia, Fahmi expressed the need to enhance the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA) and improve cybersecurity. He warned that organizations involved in data, such as commercial transactions and safekeeping, could face severe penalties if they fail to protect their data.
Last year, the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) of the Royal Malaysia Police recorded 19,034 reports related to cyber and multimedia crimes, resulting in a financial loss of RM593 million. As of this year, JSJK has received 1,563 reports involving a loss of RM48 million.
