THERE are old scams and new scams. The latter surfaced recently in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. I noticed the difference between the two types after doing a little research last weekend after a journalist asked me whether Malaysians are easy prey for scammers.
I told him that based on news reports, especially in the last few months, I have to say "Yes". According to SAC Fazlisyam Abdul Majid, PDRM's Commercial Crime Department, between Jan and Sept 2020, there were 4,764 Macau scam cases involving losses of over RM232 million, and 2,433 arrests.
In Nov 2019, Pahang Commercial Crime Investigation Department chief Superintendent Mohd Wazir Mohd Yusof told reporters that more people had fallen victims to these scams.
In the first eight months of 2018 (January to August), 111 cases were recorded with losses of more than RM3.9 million; for the same period in 2019, there were 109 cases involving almost the same amount in losses for the victims. The final tally for 2018 was 181 scam cases involving over RM5 million.
"It is a worrying trend because sometimes, we get 10 reported cases in a day," he added. Wazir said most victims would panic after getting calls from scammers (who identify themselves as police officers) and being informed that they were being investigated for drug trafficking, criminal activity or money laundering. He stressed that authorities like the police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the courts will never call to inform individuals that they are being investigated and that there is a warrant of arrest waiting for them.
Criminologist Dr Geshina Mat Saat believes everyone is a "potential victim" of scams. There is no one single tactic used by scammers to lure their victims. She agrees that public awareness campaigns are effective but they must be constant and sustainable over time. The internet has created opportunities for scammers to operate on a global scale.
"Although not every targeted person becomes a victim, there are enough to make scams a lucrative way to make easy money", she added. The "old" scams I mentioned above include the following – illegal money lenders who claim to be 'licensed', the EPF scam syndicate, the travel package scam, the land scam, the lottery scam, the bank officer scam, Casanova (African) scam, investments scams and the work-from-home scam.
After the Covid-19 outbreak, "new" scams appeared, including – online face mask scams, fraudulent sale of PPE and fake drugs, immunisation scams and fake Covid-19 tests, fake system tests, fake government aid texts, and fraudulent withdrawal of Employee Provident Fund. A study carried out by the Telenor Group covering scam victims in Malaysia, India, Singapore and Thailand concluded that Malaysians are the most vulnerable to internet scams.
The study revealed that out of the 400 internet users aged 18-65+ interviewed, 9 out of 10 were aware of "internet scams"; 4 in10 were victims; 9 in 10 surveyed scam victims had lost money; 1 in 5 in Malaysia had fallen victim to internet scam auctions and 1 in 4 in India had been duped by lottery scams.
The study noted that the five top scams in this region are work from home scams, internet auction scams, fake bank emails, online dating scams, and identity theft.
And five ways to avoid online scams are: deleting suspicious emails, ignoring advertisements that appear too good to be true, updating anti-malware software, doing research about scams, and sharing knowledge about scams with family members.
The US Federal Trade Commissioners' official website advice to avoid online scams – spot the imposters, do online searches, do not believe your caller ID, do not pay upfront for a promise, consider how you pay, talk to someone, and be sceptical about free offers.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (Scamwatch) official portal advises consumers to – know who you are dealing with, do not open suspicious texts, keep personal details secure, keep mobile devices and computers secure, review privacy and security settings, be wary of unusual payment requests, and be careful when shopping online.
My advice to Malaysians is better "be an unfriendly person and be safe". If you receive a call or an email from an unknown source, ignore it. For further advice, visit Bank Negara's official website and read carefully their helpful tips on "Fraud and Scam Notices"
The writer, a former federal counsel at the Attorney-General's Chambers, is deputy chairman of the Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War