SCAMS in Malaysia have reached crisis levels, with experts warning that fraud is no longer an isolated or rural problem but a sophisticated national threat impacting citizens of all backgrounds — from retirees and civil servants to professionals, children, and business leaders.
The ‘State of Scams in Malaysia 2025’ report by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) reveals that Malaysians face an average of 140 scam attempts per person each year, with 85 per cent of adults exposed to at least one. The report also states that scams now extend to children, with 21 per cent of parents admitting their children aged between seven and 17 have fallen prey.
Bernama cited Malaysian Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) President Siraj Jalil saying the situation has spiralled beyond traditional crime categories.
“Every three days, Malaysians face a new scam attempt regardless of age or background. The family institution has now become a new ground for cybercriminals,” he said.
He warned that children are being manipulated into disclosing sensitive household information, including banking details, with some cases involving threats of sexual blackmail. In one instance, a child was instructed to leave valuables outside the home under duress.
Siraj added, “Scammers have shifted to personal communication platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and WeChat, making their activities harder to detect and more invasive. Although 74 per cent of adults believe they can identify scams, the number of victims continues to rise. This shows scammers are adapting much faster than existing protection systems.”
Financial and emotional costs are steep. According to GASA, 62 per cent of scam victims reported emotional distress, and 47 per cent experienced mental health impacts. Many were forced into debt or had to seek loans to cover losses, while only 13 per cent of those who reported scams to payment platforms managed to recover even part of their money.
Despite the establishment of the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) in 2022, Malaysia’s response mechanisms are still evolving, with experts now urging the government to emulate more aggressive international models.
Siraj pointed to Singapore’s *Online Criminal Harms Act 2023*, which allows authorities to direct digital platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram to immediately remove scam-related content and block fraudulent websites and phone numbers.
“In Singapore, this law has been linked to a reduction in scam-related losses, from S$660 million in 2022 to S$651 million in 2023,” he said.
In the United Kingdom, the *Online Safety Act 2023* empowers the national regulator Ofcom to fine technology companies up to 10 per cent of their global turnover if they fail to remove fake ads and protect users.
Australia's National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC), launched in 2023, operates in real time, coordinating banks, telcos and enforcement agencies to monitor scam trends and intercept fraudulent activity. Meanwhile, in the United States, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have imposed multi-million-dollar penalties on companies that fail to safeguard user data or allow scam ads to proliferate.
In Malaysia, public awareness remains inconsistent. While some understand the dangers, many still fall victim due to social engineering and the appearance of legitimacy — often presented through realistic websites, influencer marketing, or well-crafted investment pitches.
A prominent example involved a businessperson who lost RM3 million to a fake cryptocurrency investment promising 15 per cent monthly returns. A Penang doctor was duped out of RM180,000 after accepting an online job offer as a sales agent. The scam initially paid small commissions before requesting “account upgrade” fees, after which the money disappeared.
These cases, said Universiti Utara Malaysia academic Associate Professor Dr Mohd Khairie Ahmad, show that even well-educated professionals are vulnerable.
“Fake investments remain the most dominant form of scam,” said Dr Khairie, Dean of the School of Multimedia Technology and Communication. “Young people, particularly millennials, recorded the highest average loss at RM7,792 a year, while Gen Z losses averaged RM1,253.”
He noted that while many urban and highly educated individuals believe they can identify scams, they remain frequent victims due to evolving tactics and the false sense of security that digital familiarity provides.
According to Dr Khairie, the gap lies in education. “Digital literacy programmes must begin in schools, supported by financial literacy and scam detection modules. Universities should integrate cybersecurity training, and national campaigns must be ongoing — not just reactionary.”
He added that real-time data sharing across agencies, digital platforms, and financial institutions is essential to counter fast-moving threats. “Scams now threaten not just individuals but the public’s trust in the financial system, digital technology, and government,” he said.
Both Dr Khairie and Siraj concluded that laws and institutions must be strengthened through inter-agency and cross-sectoral collaboration. Without robust enforcement, integrated systems, and broad-based education, Malaysia risks falling behind in its digitalisation ambitions.
“Policies alone are not enough. We need an entire ecosystem,” said Dr Khairie. - October 2, 2025
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