PETALING JAYA, 22 JULY 2024 – The National Scam Awareness Survey 2024 report published by CelcomDigi Berhad (“CelcomDigi”) recently spotlighted compelling narratives of awareness, vulnerability, and the call for proactive actions to combat scams and fraudulent activities. It showed that Malaysia is progressing as a highly digitalised nation, as 91% of respondents frequently visit community internet centres to use a broad range of digital services. Given the high internet usage, Malaysians can be easily exposed to scam threats. This underscores the urgency in increasing digitalsafety measures to create a safe and trusted digital society.
CelcomDigi CEO Datuk Idham Nawawi said, “Today, while we enjoy the benefits of digital connectivity, we face a reality where scams and fraud have become one of the most pressing social epidemics today. CelcomDigi’s inaugural National Scam Awareness Survey 2024 report provides actionable data and insights that can guide more strategic and targeted measures to address scams and fraud. Guided by the report, we can address the gaps in mitigating this epidemic, strengthen trust, and foster a more secure digital environment for Malaysians.”
87% of the 10,893 polled nationwide, have become more aware of scams over the past year, and they were able to describe their experiences in detail and articulate the nature of scam they were confronted with. Respondents also acknowledged that exposing personal data can be weaponised against them and clicking unverified links is risky. Report showed:
These indicate that most respondents engage in basic practices to protect their personal data.
However, two-thirds (66%) of them have encountered some form of scam attempts or situation. These attempts, numbering a staggering 17,912, shows that an individual can face numerous types of scams through various channels. The most common being voice phone calls (76%), where scammers pretended to be representatives or officers from banks, telecommunications companies or government departments. The attempted scam scenarios involve fake personnel:
The report also indicated a trend of scammers targeting victims with higher education and income level. Comparisons across demographic variables revealed that respondents with higher education levels experienced greater incidence of attempted scams than those who only had primary or secondary education, or those who earned monthly RM1,000 or less.
Apart from public awareness on the types of scams and scam tactics, the survey also gauged Malaysians’ awareness on the 997 hotline of the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) for scam reporting. It was found that 64% of the respondents were not aware that they could report scams via NSRC hotline. Additionally, awareness is lowest amongst those who are reportedly in financial distress, as 67% of those who indicate that their income is inadequate to cover monthly expenses also do not have knowledge of the NSRC hotline as a mechanism to report scams.
A critical step for victims of scams is to take swift corrective action. The report however, highlights that respondents may have a low level of resilience to scams, especially in terms of adopting preventive and mitigation actions:
In response to these findings, the report indicates an urgent need for a whole-of-society approach to proactively address this social epidemic. The recommendations include:
The report is part of CelcomDigi’s ongoing war against scams and fraudulent activities. It is available HERE and on social media platforms for the public.