Scam syndicates use leaked personal data to target victims, especially retirees and students, via platforms like Telegram
PETALING JAYA: Fraud syndicates “already know who they are looking for” by using leaked or harvested personal data of targeted victims, especially in Telegram groups.
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission communications and multimedia content forum executive director Mediha Mahmood told theSun that the syndicates rely on illegally obtained personal information to identify vulnerable individuals long before platforms detect suspicious activity.
She said the syndicates pick out selected Telegram users and target them with high-pressure tactics, adding that they appear to know when a person reaches an age at which they may have access to their pension fund.
“Some groups obtain illegally compiled data lists sold by irresponsible third parties, labelled as ‘homeowners’, ‘investors’ or ‘recent retirees’. These are bought and used to pinpoint who is nearing or entering retirement.
“Data leaks can also happen through cyberattacks, malicious insiders with system access or weak security protocols that expose customer information.
“This is why retirees are hit with ads for high-return investments or fixed-deposit replacements. Students are targeted with PTPTN impersonations, money-mule recruitment or small-amount job scams,” she said.
Mediha added that scammers obtain information either through insider leaks from banks or insurance providers or by piecing together traces from online activity.
“It’s not out of the realm of possibility for insider leaks to occur. What we do know is scammers can also gather information from our own digital footprints, the things we upload, talk about or share online, which give them clues about who to target.
“Digital footprints reveal a lot. People announce their retirement, post about financial stress, share job-hunt details, talk about debts or fill in fake online surveys.
“These small pieces of information, when stitched together, help scammers identify who is vulnerable and what approach to use,” she said.
On why scam content spreads so quickly across major platforms, Mediha outlined three structural weaknesses that allow syndicates to operate with near impunity.
“Firstly, there is an over-reliance on AI that is not trained for our local context. Algorithms do not always recognise how scams are written in colloquial Bahasa Malaysia, Manglish or creative spelling hacks such as ‘Mayb4nk’ or ‘BNM Offiicial’, so many scam posts simply slip through.
“Secondly, the ad-approval process is inconsistent. A scam can be approved faster than a legitimate business because automated systems prioritise volume over verification.
“And thirdly, the friction for bad actors is extremely low.
It is too easy for scammers to open new pages, impersonate banks or government agencies and run ads within minutes. When one account is taken down, another appears just as quickly.”
Mediha said Malaysia is now studying global mandatory fraud-prevention models, including the UK’s Online Safety Act, Australia’s scam code and Singapore’s shared responsibility framework.
“We are moving towards minimum safety standards such as real identity verification for advertisers, mandatory takedown times for high-risk categories like scams, independent audits of detection systems and mechanisms to stop repeat offenders from reopening accounts.
“Banks, telcos, regulators, platforms and users all share responsibility. No single party can tackle this alone,” she said.
