KUALA LUMPUR: A survey by telecommunication company Telenor Group has revealed how gullible Malaysians are on the Internet.
With at least 46 per cent of respondents from this country having admitted to being a victim of Internet scams, Malaysia leads among the countries surveyed which included India, Singapore and Thailand.
The study found that one in five Malaysians had been victims of both Internet auction scams and online dating scams.
A quarter of Malaysians have experienced Internet auction fraud,
The largest percentage of Malaysian scam victims however have fallen for the ‘work from home’ fraud, a scam whereby users are tricked into paying someone online to help them start a business or undertake work but end up not receiving any payment.
One in 10 users in Malaysia also reported that their Facebook accounts had been hacked in the past.
The multi-market survey assessed 400 Internet users aged 18 to 65 in Malaysia, India, Singapore and Thailand and was conducted to provide a better understanding of common online scamming methods.
In Malaysia, all of those surveyed classified themselves as Internet users who spend an average of close to 10 hours a day online.
Online safety is a growing concern among these respondents with 54 per cent stating that they are ‘very concerned’ with online scams, more than those equally concerned with crime in the real world such as mugging (45 per cent) and stalking (42 per cent).
Deleting suspicious emails, ignoring advertisements that appear "too good to be true" and updating anti-malware software on devices used are effective ways in maintaining safety online, recommends Telenor Group. Users may also read up on scams and share the knowledge with family and friends.