PETALING JAYA: With the public growing ever more paranoid and cautious over the possibility of getting scammed, there has been talk that scammers have begun to impersonate public servants in their schemes.
There have been countless claims across social media of people claiming to have been called by telephone numbers of “officials” from a ministry only to become scam victims.
Have scammers begun impersonating civil servants to scam the public?
VERDICT:
TRUE
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching confirmed public fears that scammers had indeed begun impersonating ministry officials in their elaborate scam operations.
She said the syndicates had begun to use the positions, names, and telephone numbers of the officials listed on the ministry's website.
"We have received calls from the public claiming to have been contacted by ministry officials, and upon verification, it was indeed the ministry's number.
"So far, we have found the names of two ministry officials used for the purpose," she said when met with reporters after attending a Hari Raya Aidilfitri donation programme on Sunday (April 21).
She noted the above are among the latest tactics employed by scammers and warned the public to be wary and cautious of such scam calls.
She also noted that the ministry had taken significant steps to curb scams by deleting a total of 35,500 social media posts involving elements of fraud, fake investments, and gambling as of March this year.
"Out of that number, 6,987 posts involved investments and impersonation, while 28,513 involved gambling activities,” she said.
