MELAKA, Sept 26 — Approximately RM30.5 million in losses due to cyber crime were reported in Melaka from January until yesterday, involving 1,359 cases of various online fraud, said State Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Communications Committee chairman Datuk Fairul Nizam Roslan.

According to him, it was based on reports received from the police, while the total cyber crime losses in the state for 2022 amounted to RM26.98 million, involving 1,109 cases.

"The rising trend in commercial or cyber crimes includes fraudulent activities such as Macau scams, love scams, online purchase scams, loan fraud, investment fraud, impersonation schemes, and fake job offers.

"The increase in the number of losses is deeply concerning, underscoring the significance of cyber incidents as a critical issue demanding serious attention and thorough action to prevent more individuals from falling victims,” he told reporters after officiating the Melaka Cybersecurity Day launch, today.

Also present were the state Information Technology and Communication Division (BTMK) the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) chief Fauzi Elham@Alhim, and Melaka TM general manager Datuk Rozlan Mohamed.

Fairul Nizam said the state government is committed on raising awareness about cyber crimes among people of all backgrounds, aiming to keep them informed and protected from scams.

He added that the state government is taking proactive steps to ensure the effectiveness of cyber incident control by implementing various initiatives to address cyber security threats.

"If there are intrusions on state government websites, it can harm the image and disrupt departmental operations.

"Therefore, we are appointing a chief digital officer and an ICT security officer for each state department and agency. We are also establishing computer security incident response teams and conducting security posture assessments for ICT assets,” he added. — Bernama