KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has the highest rate of online fraud revictimisation in Asia, with victims being retargeted over 2.5 times on average, according to the Asia Scam Report 2024 issued by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance.
CelcomDigi Head of Sustainability Philip Ling said the report also revealed that Hong Kong and Thailand ranked second and third, respectively.
“There are two concerns, namely victims being repeatedly targeted by scammers and their low ability to differentiate artificial intelligence scams.
“The victims don’t learn from experience. It is concerning when they fall victim again because they lack the ability to differentiate between sources…when contacted by authorities, they often cannot tell whether the caller is real or fake,” he noted.
He said this to reporters after attending the Anti-Scam Engagement Session, “It’s a Matter of When”, at the Tun Abdul Razak Broadcasting and Information Institute (IPPTAR) here, which saw the participation of over 100 staff from agencies under the Ministry of Communications, including the Information Department, the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and RTM.
Ling said that today’s event provided participants with an opportunity to share information and advocate against the crime in a manner that was clearer and easier for the local community to understand.
“We need to know that scam victims do not get an adequate support system from the people around them. They feel scared, ashamed and unsure of where to seek help,” he said.
Meanwhile, one of the participants, Abdul Wahid Abdul Mutallib from Bernama said that such programmes should be expanded, particularly to the community, as they provided valuable new information and knowledge.
“This kind of programme is very good because it raises awareness among the public, especially as we are in the age of AI. I have gained a lot of new knowledge throughout the programme. Hopefully, it will also be opened to the public,” he said.
Echoing similar sentiments, another participant Mohd Salehuddin Mohd Kidin expressed hope that more programmes focused on online fraud awareness would be organised at the grassroots level.
“Through courses like this, participants are given exposure on how to ensure that all information is accurate before making any online transaction,” he said.
Earlier, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil was reported as saying that online fraud is one of the government’s main focuses in addressing the rise in cybercrime cases, including online gambling, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes against children.
In response to this, the government has decided to implement a regulatory or licensing framework for social media and internet messaging services, effective Jan 1 next year.
