News & Reviews:   scams

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been quite busy these past few months. Besides ramping up the social media ban for under-16s by June or July 2026, MCMC has been stepping up efforts to curb harmful online content, with new figures revealing a sharp volume of takedown requests submitted in just the first few months of the year.

Today, Google has introduced a new certification requirement for financial services advertisers targeting Malaysia, aimed at strengthening protections against online financial scams. The new measure, known as Financial Services Verification (FSV), adds an additional layer of security to Google’s existing financial products and services advertising policies.

In a continuous effort to battle online scams, Maxis has rolled out an integrated artificial intelligence-powered network firewall, designed to combat digital fraud across both voice and SMS traffic. The system has been operational since January 2026 and forms part of the company’s broader multi-layered security framework aimed at delivering safer connectivity for customers.

Generative AI is becoming faster, more realistic and easier to use for creating images and videos. While some people can still easily identify these images and videos, many people can't. Without further ado, here's how to detect AI-generated images with Circle-to-Search and Google Gemini.

In early December, I came across a nostalgic Facebook post reminiscing about how simple the platform once was, before reels, algorithms, and endless noise took over. Having used social media since 2009, that moment made me realise how much not just Facebook, but all major platforms have changed, and why I now find myself pulling away from them more often: social media nowadays is worse than ever.

You would think by now that most Malaysians have become better at spotting online scams than before, but it turns out that this is not the case yet. The recent data from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) shows that between January and November 2025, there were 67735 online crime cases recorded nationwide, resulting in cumulative losses exceeding RM 2.7 billion.

The government of Singapore Police Force (SPF) has formally instructed Google and Apple to implement safeguards preventing fraudsters from spoofing government-agency identities on their messaging platforms. The order comes after a surge in scams where messages appearing to come from official organisations — such as the national postal service — were sent through encrypted messaging apps.

In a recent update tied to Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Meta has announced a raft of new safety features specifically designed to help users — especially older adults — spot and avoid online scams. Simply dubbed as an anti-scam tool, it will roll out to WhatsApp and Messenger.

Google is adding a new layer of protection to Android with the rollout of developer verification for all apps installed on certified Android devices. Announced by Suzanne Frey, VP of Product, Trust & Growth for Android, this initiative aims to curb the rise of malware and scams from sideloaded apps by ensuring every developer is verified before their app reaches users.

The Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) and the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM) released findings from their third annual public survey on scam awareness, conducted by Rakuten Insight between March and April 2025. The survey collected responses from 1000 Malaysians nationwide.