PETALING JAYA: Nearly three in four Malaysians fell victim to scams in the past year despite most saying they could easily spot one, a new survey has found, highlighting a growing “overconfidence gap” in digital safety.
The 2025 State of Scams in Malaysia report by Gogolook and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) stated that 85% of respondents encountered a scam attempt and 73% admitted being deceived.
According to the report, the average loss among victims was RM4,844.70 each.
This comes even as 75% of adults expressed confidence in identifying scams, with 14% insisting they could “always” detect one.
The survey said that education and age offered little protection, with 82% of victims being highly educated and 78% millennials.
“Scams have become so embedded into our digital landscape that even digitally savvy, educated and confident users are falling for them,” said Gogolook Chief Operating Officer Manwoo Joo.
He warned that many Malaysians rely on weak checks, such as spotting grammar errors or looking up companies on social media.
The survey revealed how investment scams topped the list, while phone calls remained the main channel.
However, the report said messaging apps are fast catching up, accounting for 56% of attempts, with WhatsApp, Telegram and Facebook the most exploited.
The report also revealed that 21% of parents said their child aged 7–17 had been scammed at least once.
“About reporting splits, victims were equally likely to report scams to social platforms and authorities (44% each), mainly the police (27%) and social media companies (25%).
“On barriers to reporting, 23% of victims stayed silent, citing uncertainty over where to report (35%) and doubts it would make a difference (34%),” the report read.
The study also found that Malaysians placed the greatest responsibility on government agencies but rated consumer protection bodies highest for scam education, reporting ease and victim support.
The survey, conducted from Feb 26 to March 14 among 1,000 adults nationwide, found that stronger tools and institutional action were needed.
Gogolook’s Whoscall app, approved by the police, uses artificial intelligence to flag suspicious calls, links and even screenshots of scam attempts.
