PETALING JAYA: A consumer rights organisation is calling for improved enforcement and a focus on addressing systemic weaknesses to effectively combat online scams.
In a Wednesday (Jan 15) statement, the Digital Economy Consumer Association of Malaysia outlined five actions the authorities should take to reduce the spread of online scam activities in the country.
It said, "Property owners must be held accountable for any illegal activities carried out by their tenants. If such premises are identified, strict actions should be taken.” It added that the owner of the premises where the scammers operate must be identified, and that location should be blacklisted from receiving utilities.
As for those operating the scam, it said, “Employees involved in scam activities must face stringent actions.” This includes doing community service, being blacklisted from getting passports and being deported immediately if they are foreigners.
To address phone scams, the association suggests that “All calls should go through a single gateway to verify the legitimacy of the mobile number before connecting the call.”
It also said that numbers identified as being used for scams should be blocked and registration of IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) numbers to track devices used for scam calls be mandated.
The association also suggests that messages from SMS short codes (5-digit numbers) should not include links and that service providers must disable SMS reception through email unless explicitly requested
For banking facilities, it suggests that “Any bank account used for scam activities must be suspended, and the account holder blacklisted from opening new bank accounts.”
It also noted the need for enhanced regional coordination through Asean and international frameworks to enforce these measures collectively.
“Funds obtained through scams are often funnelled into channels such as purchases on e-commerce platforms or top-ups for gambling accounts, making a recovery and tracking of these funds challenging.
“Therefore, prevention must be the primary focus in addressing scam activities,” it said.
