Over 410 million unsolicited SMS blocked to combat online scams

CYBERJAYA: A total of 410.59 million unsolicited Short Message Services (SMS) were blocked by telecommunications companies during the first nine months of this year, following the directive from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching said 19 million SMS containing hyperlinks were blocked from May 2 until September. This effort, she said, is to stop online scams in the form of websites, social media accounts, SMS and calls.

"...but there is still no solution that can block all (scams). So, people (scammers) can still register new names to send phishing messages," she told reporters after launching the Runhack: Scam Alert! 2023 running event on Tuesday (Nov 7).

On Feb 14, MCMC said it had consistently instructed all telecommunications service providers to immediately block any SMS containing prohibited content from being sent or received by any individuals in its effort to combat online scams.

Teo said from January until Oct 31, MCMC had taken down 4,013 accounts and fraudulent content, as well as blocked 1,764 fake websites for information phishing scams.

Meanwhile, in her speech, Teo said online fraud is the highest cybersecurity incident reported to Cyber999 operated by CyberSecurity Malaysia. Of the 4,898 reports received between January and October this year, 3,087 cases were related to online fraud.

She said the Runhack: Scam Alert! 2023 can be a platform to raise awareness about this crime among the people.

"Such programmes are not only beneficial to young people and adults but also to senior citizens because this crime does not discriminate by age," she added.

The 5km run, to be held at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Dec 3, is expected to draw 2,000 participants.

Participants would also engage in activities to test their awareness and understanding of online fraud and scam-related issues at several checkpoints.- Bernama