KUALA LUMPUR: Scammed! For many, despite the numerous reports and news, it is usually the case of “this is something that happens to others.” Until it happens to you. Despite having strong confidence in spotting scams, many Malaysians still fall victim, revealing a troubling gap between awareness and prevention.
According to the newly released 2025 State of Scams in Malaysia report by Gogolook and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (Gasa), 85% of Malaysian respondents encountered a scam in the past year, and 73% were actually scammed. This is despite three-quarters of Malaysian adults feeling confident in their ability to recognise scams, with 14% claiming they can “always” spot one.
Another interesting finding is that 82% of those most likely to have experienced scams possess a high level of education with 78% of them being millennials.
“Scams have become so embedded into our digital landscape that even those who are digitally savvy, educated and confident are falling for them. That overconfidence gap is dangerous, and the data shows it clearly. Even though 94% of Malaysian respondents say they take steps to check if an offer is legitimate, many are relying on less effective methods like checking grammar errors or whether a company is active on social media. What this tells us is that awareness alone is not enough. We need better tools, smarter prevention, and platforms that support early detection and action,” said Manwoo Joo, chief operating officer of Gogolook, the company behind Whoscall.
“That is where Whoscall comes in. As the only anti-scam app in Malaysia officially approved by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Whoscall uses AI technology not only to detect suspicious calls and messages but also to analyse scam links and images, including those captured via screenshots. Tech solutions like this are critical in closing the preparedness gap,” he added.
Investment scams emerged as the top scam in Malaysia, with phone calls remaining the top channel used by scammers. The report also highlights a growing shift towards scams delivered through messaging apps, which now account for 56% of scam attempts.
Among the most commonly used channels were WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook.
Other notable findings:
> Children are not spared: 21% of Malaysian parents with children aged 7 to 17 say their child has been scammed at least once.
> Where scams get reported: Scams were equally likely to be reported to social platforms and authorities (44% each), with the police (27%) and social media platforms (25%) being the most common destinations.
> Barriers to reporting remain high: 23% of scam victims did not report the incident. Top reasons include being unsure who to report to (35%) and believing their report would not make a difference (34%).
> Malaysians expect more from public institutions: Malaysians place the greatest responsibility for scam protection on public service organisations, mainly the government, but perceive consumer protection organisations as most effective in tackling scams. These organisations were rated highest for scam education (65%), ease of reporting (64%) and victim support (58%).
These findings are based on a nationally representative online survey of 1,000 Malaysian adults, conducted between Feb 26 and March 14, as part of the 2025 Gasa State of Scams in Malaysia Report.
