Better safe than sorry: The public are advised to safeguard themselves against scams. — ART CHEN/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Fewer than 50% of scam victims in the country seek help from the authorities, with a silent minority taking no action, a survey revealed.
According to the survey titled Scams in Malaysia, conducted by Ipsos Malaysia with a sample size of 1,000 people, only 48% of the 657 respondents who either experienced a scam with financial loss or came close to falling victim to one but realised it in time reported the incident to the authorities.
Surprisingly, 12% of respondents took no action in response to the scam.
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In response to being scammed, 39% took action by contacting their banks, while 36% sought assistance from friends or family members. Additionally, 25% shared their experience on social media, 23% filed a complaint with consumer protection agencies, and 10% consulted with a lawyer or legal adviser.
Country service line leader, creative excellence, at Ipsos Malaysia, Kuan Sawu Fang said in a statement that a proactive and multifaceted approach is essential in tackling scams.
“While the role of law enforcement is critical, empowering the public with education and advanced digital safeguards is equally important.
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“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.
The survey revealed a notable trend in scam reporting, with the police taking the lead at 62%. Although the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, CyberSecurity Malaysia, and Bank Negara were among the initial authorities receiving reports, their respective percentages (26%, 24%, and 20%) were lower compared with the volume of reports received by the police.
A total of 51% of respondents reported that they encountered scams in the past three months, 26% encountered scams in the past month, and 14% encountered scams in one week.
The survey stated that scammers primarily use phone calls and WhatsApp for communication.
Fifty-six percent of the respondents reported that scammers contacted them via phone calls, followed by WhatsApp (54%), Facebook (31%), Telegram (30%), and SMS (29%). — Bernama
