KUALA LUMPUR: Two-thirds of Malaysians surveyed by CelcomDigi National Scam Awareness Survey 2024 have encountered some form of scam attempts or situation, with scammers targetting those with higher education and income.

The survey of 10,893 polled nationwide, found that 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.

The most common scam attempt was through voice phone calls (76 per cent), where scammers pretended to be representatives or officers from banks, telecommunications companies or government departments.

The attempted scam scenarios involve fake personnel asking respondents for their personal information (31 per cent); creating fear that respondents' bank accounts have problems and threatened respondents to make a certain payment (23 per cent); offering government assistance and asking for personal or banking details (23 per cent).

These attempts, numbering a staggering 17,912, shows that an individual can face numerous types of scams through various channels.

The survey reported increased awareness of scams among with 87 per cent of the 10,893 polled nationwide, with respondents 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.

However, awareness of the 997 hotline of the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) for scam reporting is still low, with 64 per cent of the respondents not aware that they could report scams via NSRC's hotline.

The report also highlights that respondents may have a low level of resilience to scams, especially in terms of adopting preventive and mitigation actions, with only 52 per cent blocking the phone numbers of scammer or suspected scammers; 32 per cent informing family or friends; while 19 per cent either closed their bank accounts, cancelled their credit cards or did nothing.

"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," CelcomDigi CEO Datuk Idham Nawawi said in a statement today.

https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2024/07/1079905/scammers-targeting-those-higher-education-income-survey