THE nation is stepping up nationwide internet safety awareness efforts after online scam losses soared to RM2.77 billion last year, prompting authorities to intensify digital education campaigns across schools, universities and local communities.
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the alarming increase in financial losses linked to cyber fraud highlighted the urgent need for stronger public awareness and targeted digital literacy programmes.
The ministry, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), is now expanding its Safe Internet Campaign across multiple community levels following a steep rise in online investment scams and other cyber-related crimes.
According to Teo, total losses from online fraud climbed sharply from RM1.28 billion in 2023 to RM1.57 billion in 2024 before reaching RM2.77 billion last year, with non-existent investment schemes emerging as the largest contributor.
“At the beginning, victims will see returns reflected in their accounts. For example, if they invest RM1,000, it becomes RM3,000, causing them to put in even more money until they eventually lose all their savings,” she said after attending a community outreach programme with e-commerce platform Shopee at Felda Bukit Permai, in Kulai, Johor today.
Teo said the government had adopted different approaches for various target groups to ensure internet safety messages were delivered effectively and meaningfully.
She explained that cyberbullying awareness remained a key focus at primary school level, while scam prevention campaigns were prioritised in FELDA settlements, villages and residential communities.
Meanwhile, university students and secondary school pupils are being exposed to the dangers of job scams and the growing risks associated with mule accounts used by criminal syndicates.
As of 30 April, the campaign had been implemented at 10,134 educational institutions nationwide, including national schools, vernacular schools, secondary schools, teacher training institutes and higher education institutions, involving nearly 900,000 participants.
The programme in Felda Bukit Permai also saw 200 residents receiving daily essential goods through a strategic collaboration with Shopee, alongside health screening services and Safe Internet Campaign booths operated by staff from the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI).
Authorities have increasingly warned that online scams are becoming more sophisticated, particularly investment fraud schemes that lure victims with seemingly legitimate profit returns before pressuring them to commit larger sums of money.
The expanded campaign forms part of broader government efforts to strengthen digital resilience and public awareness as Malaysia faces escalating cybercrime threats amid rapid growth in digital and online financial activity. - May 16, 2026
