News & Reviews:   scam

Malaysia’s Agrobank has confirmed a RM203800000 loss from an online fraud incident first reported in November 2025. The Home Minister announced the figure on 4 February 2026, saying law enforcement agencies are continuing their investigation into the case.

During the long weekend, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) successfully dismantled a scam operation that used fake mobile base stations to intercept networks and distribute fraudulent SMS messages in Genting Highlands. In a media statement dated 31 January 2026, MCMC confirmed that the operation was successfully neutralised following continuous technical monitoring and network analysis.

At the start of the new year, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) issued a strong warning against the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to generate harmful content online. The regulator says it has received numerous public complaints involving AI-powered image manipulation, particularly cases targeting women and minors.

According to MCMC, these incidents involve digitally altered images that result in indecent, grossly offensive, or otherwise harmful material being circulated on social platforms, including X.

In a continuous battle against online scams, our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is slated to officially open a new National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) office in January 2026. The new NSRC headquarters will be housed at Tower 2 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in Cyberjaya, shifting operations from its previous base at Sasana Kijang under Bank Negara Malaysia.

Malaysia’s banking industry is stepping up its cybersecurity messaging, as member banks of the Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) and the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM) jointly urge customers to keep their web browsers and mobile devices fully updated. The move comes amid rising online scams and malware threats that increasingly exploit outdated software and unsupported operating systems.

In a continuous effort to combat online scams, Google has just rolled out a new functionality: Circle to Search and Google Lens can now help you detect scam messages and suspicious texts. Instead of just searching for definitions or images, these tools will analyse messages — like SMS, chat app texts, or social-media DMs — to determine if they might be scams.

If you have been receiving calls but no one is talking on the other side, there is a good chance that it was an AI voice recorder. In a recent warning from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), a fresh scam tactic has emerged that turns silence into danger.

Honestly, we are not surprised by this news. Ever since the pandemic, we have noticed that more scams have been disguised as Facebook ads. The recent news report by Reuters confirmed this, as internal documents reviewed by the media show that Meta projected it would earn about 10% of its 2024 annual revenue — roughly US$16 billion — from advertisements linked to scams and banned goods across its platforms.

Mastercard introduces Mastercard Threat Intelligence, a solution that leverages cyber threat intelligence to combat payment fraud comprehensively. So, what should you know about it?

Maxis has announced a new strategic partnership with Globe Teleservices Pte. Ltd. (GTS), a global telecom solutions provider, to deploy an AI-powered firewall designed to secure messaging and voice traffic across its network in Malaysia. This end-to-end, fully managed service aims to enhance network security, improve service quality, and safeguard millions of Maxis subscribers from fraud and spam.