Perak govt continues scam awareness campaign

Source: The Star

IPOH: The state government has continued to carry out statewide awareness tours as an effort to prevent more people from falling victim to scammers.

State communications, multimedia and non-governmental organisations committee chairman Mohd Azlan Helmi said this was a continuation of the initiative carried out last year.

He said such initiatives are important considering the increase in the number of victims, especially involving online scams.

"The public is provided with knowledge of the latest online scam to raise their awareness on the safety and protection of the Internet.

"Until February, we have visited four areas, Behrang, Slim, Manong and Bukit Chandan," he said during the winding up speech on the Motion of Thanks to the Royal Address at the state assembly on Wednesday (Feb 28).

Mohd Azlan also urged the public to be careful when accessing online buying and selling platforms, games as well as e-banking using free Internet at public areas because this provides an easy opportunity for scammers to find their victims.

He said when using free Internet at restaurants, supermarkets or at airports, users must be extremely careful.

"Users are reminded to be cautious about any suspicious invitations or offers received, and not to click on the provided links.

"Although computer security engineers strive to improve online communications security on every device and social media, syndicates would still prevail if there is no awareness from users.

"Therefore, every smart device user must always be vigilant against scam threats to avoid losses," he added.

Mohd Azlan added that facing the challenges of 2024, the government, through the relevant authorities, will continue to support prevention activities aimed at increasing knowledge and providing information to the public regarding commercial crime threats and the latest modus operandi used.

Mohd Azlan also advised the public to take precautionary measures, including not clicking on any links received from unknown sources, ignoring and deleting such messages.

He said users should also avoid downloading any applications into their phones or personal computers from uncertain sources to prevent malware or spyware.

"Meanwhile, if you receive a message containing an OTP number even though you did not request it, it means a syndicate is using your personal data," he added.