KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — Don’t get scammed, you all heard it before. Nobody in their right mind wants to get scammed but scammers are constantly levelling up their game to trick unsuspecting victims to provide their personal information and banking credentials.

While Malaysian banks have implemented additional security measures mandated by Bank Negara Malaysia, users are also equally responsible for keeping their online credentials safe.

To create awareness and to test your scam defence, the Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) and the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM) have come out with a website called JanganKenaScam.com which comes with a nifty quiz.

Take the Scam or Not? Quiz

The Scam, or Not? Quiz tests your knowledge of the common scam tactics in Malaysia in a retrogaming 80s-style interface. You’re given "RM10,000” and your task is to avoid losing your money to scammers. Each time you make a misstep, you’ll lose RM2,000.

If it is not obvious enough, you should never click on links claiming to be from a bank or financial institution. In fact, most if not all banks have stopped including links in their SMS and email. To log into your online banking account, you should always use the official apps or visit the official website instead of clicking through a link.

In addition, all mobile users should never download or sideload APK files as they may contain malware that could put your phone’s security at risk. Your username and password should be kept private at all times and you should not share it with anyone, not even the so-called "police” or "bank” that calls you randomly.

If you do get scammed, you should contact the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) immediately at 997. The earlier you report, there’s a higher chance of blocking the outflow of funds. The government has recently allocated RM20 million under Budget 2024 to step up its fight against scams.

Customers who successfully avoided scams actively follow scam alerts

According to a recent Perception Survey on Financial Scams survey conducted by Rakuten Insights from June to July 2023, close to 80 per cent of respondents believe that scams happen due to victims inadvertently revealing their banking information to fraudsters and not due to any breach in the banking system.

They also found that more than half of the respondents feel capable of managing and handling financial scams, and those who read and understand banks’ scam awareness alerts are shown to be 15 per cent more prepared to fight scams.

The survey also revealed that about 70 per cent of respondents are satisfied with the banks’ current efforts in creating awareness about financial scams.

When asked to identify scam types and tactics, most of the respondents were able to do so scoring well above 60 per cent on average for 11 scam types including popular scam modus operandi such as phone scam and malware. 76 per cent of those polled also said scam prevention is the topic that they are most interested in.

ABM Chairman Dato Khairussaleh Ramli said "The evolution of scams presents new challenges to banks and customers alike, as fraudsters adjust manipulation tactics to suit current banking or shopping trends.

In response to these dynamic challenges, banks have continued to demonstrate an unwavering commitment to protecting our customers’ financial well-being by introducing enhanced security measures regularly, on top of a national scam awareness campaign to educate the masses.”

"We know from the survey that 63 per cent have had close contact with financial scams, either having been a victim or know someone who was a victim. This shows the importance of taking scam education seriously — the public should always be vigilant and do not assume that they will not be targeted by scammers as scams do not discriminate against one’s age, gender or location.

Banks will continue arming our customers with the necessary scam knowledge and tools in fostering a more resilient and empowered banking community against scams,” he added.

#JanganKenaScam Fest at 1 Utama

To expand its scam awareness campaign, the banking industry is having a #JanganKenaScam Fest at 1 Utama Shopping Centre at the LG Oval Concourse from 15th to 19th November 2023. The public is invited to take part in an immersive experience and scam simulation exercise to learn about scams in a fun way.

Visitors who successfully complete all activities at the experiential booths will stand a chance to win exclusive #JanganKenaScam merchandise. The campaign’s brand ambassador Hairul Azreen and content creators Arwind Kumar, Amelia Henderson and Ceddy will also be making an appearance in a special meet-and-greet session on selected days.

President of AIBIM Dato Mohd Muazzam Mohamed said, "We urge the public to visit the interactive booths to learn more about scams so they can protect themselves and their loved ones from fraudsters. Through these educational activities, attendees can ask questions, seek clarification, and gain anti-scam knowledge to fight scams and help safeguard their banking safety.”

To learn more about scams and how to stay ahead, you can check out the #JanganKenaScam website. — SoyaCincau