KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — More than two-thirds of Malaysians, or 76 per cent, have encountered scams at some point in their lives, according to the latest survey by international market research firm Ipsos.

The survey found that 51 per cent encountered scams in the past three months, in the past one month, 26 per cent, and in the past one week, 14 per cent.

The Ipsos report, titled "Scams in Malaysia” released today, was based on a survey of 1,000 people in the country.

Phone calls and WhatsApp applications were the top two most popular platforms used by scammers to target victims, according to Ipsos.

Out of 762 people surveyed, scams via phone calls make up 56 per cent followed closely by WhatsApp at 54 per cent.

The remaining three ways scammers communicated with their targets were through Facebook at 31 per cent, Telegram at 30 per cent and SMS text at 29 per cent.

The Ipsos report also highlighted that fewer than half of victims seek help from the authorities, with a silent minority taking no action to report the scams.

Out of the 657 people surveyed, only 48 per cent reported the matter to the authorities after finding out they were scammed.

The same survey also found that 39 per cent contacted their respective banks, while 36 per cent sought assistance from friends or family members and 25 per cent posted it on social media.

The number one authority who received complaints of being scammed were the police, with 62 per cent out of 376 people surveyed.

The other agencies had substantially lower volumes with only 26 per cent reporting to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), 24 per cent to CyberSecurity Malaysia and 20 per cent to Bank Negara Malaysia.

Ipsos Malaysia country service line leader Kuan Sawu Fang said the study reveals that an overwhelming majority of Malaysians have encountered scams, with a distressing number reporting substantial financial harm.

"Scams are exploiting the digital realm, signalling a shift in criminal tactics that jeopardises our collective economic health,” she said in a statement.

Kuan said a proactive, multifaceted approach is essential.

While the role of law enforcement is critical, she added that empowering the public with education and advanced digital safeguards is equally important.

"The Malaysian government's decision to increase funding for the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) is a promising step toward proactive measures.

"As we advocate for change, we hope to see the government harness these insights and take decisive action to combat scams,” she said.