"We Blocked 1.6 Billion Scam Calls" — MCMC Officer Shares The Lowdown On Scams & Fake News
From 2020 until May of this year, the regulatory body has received 5,513 scam-related complaints and investigated 92 cases of fake news.
By Shiffa Aziz — 08 Jul 2022, 10:34 AM
There's no doubt that as of late, crime relating to scams and fake news has been running rampant in the nation
From people losing thousands of ringgit to hackers, to government agencies needing to debunk false claims about serious issues such as COVID-19, these issues can be quite worrisome.
It is for precisely these reasons why Malaysians need to stay vigilant and be cautious when it comes to dealing with others regarding daily transactions, or even when consuming news from online platforms.
To get a better understanding of the situation, Encik Harme Mohamed, Head of the Network Security Division at MCMC, shares some valuable insights about scams and fake news
While MCMC does not carry out investigations themselves, the complaints received are referred to the relevant authorities such as the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP), Securities Commission Malaysia (SC), and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
Speaking about the current statistics of scam-related crime, he said, "We received 5,513 complaints since 2020 until May 2022, regarding scams.
"When it comes to scams, even I have been on the receiving end of them. For the past few days, I've been receiving calls claiming to be from LHDN and HSBC Bank, telling me that I have debts that need to be settled. But, I already know that I have no bank accounts for HSBC, and have not had any issues with LHDN. So, scam calls claiming to be from banks and government agencies are quite common."
He added that one of the most important things to do when receiving a scam call is to lodge a report with the relevant authorities, such as PDRM and MCMC, by providing the scammer's phone number. This is to prevent others from getting scammed by the same number.
Take a look at MCMC's list of do's and don'ts when receiving a scam call:
It also important to be aware of scam text messages (SMS), as it could contain suspicious links from unidentified numbers
Other types of scams include android package kit (APK) applications for mobile devices, which are capable of reading SMS.
While APK apps are not found on official stores such as Google Play or the App Store, they are usually available for download from the website.
"They can contain malware, which can take over your device and read your personal information, such as usernames and passwords.
"This can be dangerous when you're performing transactions and you receive OTP (one-time password) via SMS, and you may not even realise the APK is reading your SMS," Encik Harme emphasised.
One of the most difficult types of scams to take action upon is when social media is involved
This is because scammers can easily hide themselves and carry out transactions by creating new or fake accounts online, with little to no digital footprint, making it difficult for MCMC to track them.
Encik Harme shared, "And, the scammers are not always from Malaysia. Only by working together with the law enforcement in that particular country can legal action be taken against scammers that are overseas.
"There was even a case where scammers who were residing in Malaysia scammed citizens in China. So, PDRM and the law enforcement in China worked together, and they successfully identified the location of the scammers, resulting in their capture by local police."
As for fake news, it is often disseminated in closed groups, such as Facebook groups or even WhatsApp group chats
"It is difficult for us to take action when fake news is spread in closed groups. We would need help from the members of the group for insider information," said Encik Harme.
Similar to scams, attributing the crime of distributing fake news is a challenge when social media is involved.
"How do we determine the exact person who shared fake news to the public? That is why we don't only focus on taking action according to the law, we also emphasise on the importance of prevention as well," he added.
In order to reduce the prevalence of scams and fake news, there are various initiatives being carried out by MCMC
Here's how MCMC plans to combat the issue of scams and fake news:
Scams
- Created a document in 2018 titled Industry Reference, which details seven guidelines on how to block phone numbers that are related to scams. In 2020, five additional rules were added, amounting to 12 guidelines. As a result, 1.6 billion scam calls were succesfully blocked by MCMC.
- Establishing guidelines to deal with SMS-related scams
- Conducting several awareness campaigns with the cooperation of PDRM via SMS, social media, television, and radio
- Established programmes such as Klik Dengan Bijak (KDB) and Malaysian ICT Volunteer (MIV)
Fake news
- Created Sebenarnya.my, a platform provided by MCMC which makes it easier for the public to check and verify news
- Collaboration with social media providers such as Facebook, Twitter, etc to crackdown on fake news
- Issued a notice warning the public to avoid transmitting or disseminating any content which may be an offense under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998
- Encouraged users to use the Internet wisely via programmes such as Klik dengan Bijak (KDB), The Truth Campaign (Kempen Kebenaran – Kebebasan Bersuara Bukan Kebebasan Untuk Berbohong) and the Malaysian ICT Volunteer (MIV)
To stay aware on the latest scams and fake news, you can head over to MCMC's platform, Sebenarnya.my, to find out more
