Teen cybercrime cases on the rise

GEORGE TOWN: Greed and social media have been blamed for the high number of reported cybercrime cases among teenagers, says the Penang Crime Consciousness and Public Safety Society.

Its chairman Datuk Mohamad Anil Shah Abdullah said there had been an uptrend in secondary school students involved in cybercrimes.

“Some are heavily influenced by social media or peer pressure while others are attracted to a luxurious lifestyle.

“This group is easy prey for criminals targeting them as drug mules or syndicate members for scams.

“Many of them would be asked to open bank accounts to accept transactions, and they would be paid a small sum, without them realising that such an act is similar to abetting a crime of scamming or money-laundering,” he said.

Anil Shah, a former top cop in Penang, said even fresh graduates had fallen victim to employment scams offering high pay in foreign countries.

Saying that communication is important, he added that parents and teachers, even friends, must keep the youngsters informed of the dangers without creating unnecessary fear.

“Telling them the syndicates’ latest modus operandi will help prevent them from being duped and manipulated,” he said.

It was reported that as of Jan 27, Malaysian police had received 262 reports of 336 Malaysians who fell for job scams and were held in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Universiti Sains Malaysia criminologist Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy said the lifestyle of adolescents had changed significantly in recent years.

“With the influence of social media, they now have their own norms and values besides what they are exposed to within their families.

“Many of them are victims of social issues including substance abuse and trafficking of alcohol and drugs due to their desire to find shortcuts to their perception of success and riches,” he added.

He said criminal syndicates were also enticing those below 18 to be involved as they would be treated as juveniles with more lenient punishments than those meted out to adults, if caught.

“Most of those involved are from working-class backgrounds who find the rewards lucrative,” he said.

To address the concerns, Sundramoorthy said it was crucial to tackle the issue with education and mental support.

“School syllabuses and models need to be reviewed and revamped to be in line with current social human behaviours from ethics, integrity, drug abuse and sex education to traffic safety.

“The young might be biologically mature but their minds might not be able to deal with current trends and the social issues from day-to-day living.

“We need to develop well-rounded and educated adolescents to make responsible decisions,” he said.

Sundramoorthy said there was also the need to look into rehabilitation.

“The young will make mistakes but unless it’s a severe offence, they should be given the opportunity to be rehabilitated and treated,” he said.

He also suggested introducing a course on “human social behaviour” as a subject matter to Year Four to Form Five students.

He added that the Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation must work smartly in utilising crime-prevention clubs in schools to address social issues.