CYBERJAYA: Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting children and teenagers through online gaming scams, exploiting the digital value of the rapidly growing e-gaming industry.
Malaysian Cyber Consumer Association president Siraj Jalil stated that e-gaming has evolved into a multi-billion dollar global industry with significant participation from Malaysian youth.
“The e-gaming industry is dominated by teenagers and children, along with adults, with strong participation from Gen Z who are active in Malaysia’s e-sports scene,” he said during the Safe Internet Campaign segment on Bernama Radio.
Scammers typically use phishing links offering unrealistic rewards such as free gems, diamonds or game credits to obtain personal information from young gamers.
“For example, gems worth 100 ringgit are offered for free on the condition that players click on a link, enter their ID, log in and provide their account passwords for online games,” he explained.
Siraj also warned of a more serious threat involving child sexual abuse material, which has been found on several popular gaming platforms.
“This CSAM, for example, is active on platforms such as Roblox and has been discussed at the global level, including the banning of the platform in countries like Qatar, as well as being a heated topic in the European bloc,” he said.
He emphasised that parents hold the primary responsibility for protecting children from these online threats rather than relying solely on teachers or authorities.
Cybercrimes in e-gaming extend beyond data theft to include psychosocial and moral issues such as sexual extortion and child pornography sales on closed platforms.
Siraj recommended that parents take proactive steps including monitoring screen time and the applications used by their children.
Although Malaysia lacks specific legislation for gaming scams, existing laws including the Computer Crimes Act 1997, the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, and the Consumer Protection Act 1999 can be applied to address these crimes. – Bernama
