FREE money from the government is always tempting, and scammers know it.
A message spreading rapidly on WhatsApp claims that the Health Ministry is handing out an RM450 medical subsidy to all Malaysians, and all you need to do is click a link and fill in a few details.
But is the Health Ministry really giving out an RM450 medical subsidy?
Verdict:
FALSE
The viral WhatsApp message claiming that the Health Ministry is offering an RM450 medical subsidy is fake and is in fact a phishing scam designed to steal personal and banking information, according to a fact-check by MyCheck.my.
The message, which has been circulating on WhatsApp, is written in a casual, friendly tone to appear as though it is coming from someone who has already received the subsidy.
"Wahhh! You guys claim already or not? I just had time to check just now, turns out there is an RM450 medical subsidy from KKM! I got mine already, feel so relieved lah. You guys confirm eligible one, don't waste this chance. So easy only, just fill in a bit of info then settle. Quickly click here before it's gone. Share with your friends also tau! Waste only if you don't take this government money," the message reads.
The first red flag is the link itself. MyCheck.my found that the URL provided does not end in "gov.my" as all official Malaysian government websites do, with the Health Ministry's official website being moh.gov.my. Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching has previously advised the public not to trust any link claiming to be a government website unless its address ends with ".gov.my."
Upon clicking the link, MyCheck.my found that the website displayed details of the supposed RM450 subsidy including an application ID and application deadline, but most of the buttons on the page including search, language settings and contact functions could not be clicked, with only the "Apply Now" button functional, a common characteristic of fake websites.
When the "Apply Now" button was clicked, a pop-up appeared requesting sensitive personal information. MyCheck.my entered random, fictitious details, which were accepted without question, and a notification appeared stating eligibility for the subsidy had been confirmed.
Clicking the "Receive Subsidy" button then led to another pop-up requesting bank card details, a clear sign of a phishing operation, as legitimate government subsidies are disbursed directly into bank accounts and would never require card details to be submitted online in this manner.
The Health Ministry confirmed to MyCheck.my that the viral message was fake and that the government had never offered or disbursed any RM450 cash assistance through the method described.
The ministry has since taken steps to protect the public by blocking the fake link, blacklisting the domain and providing technical information to block traffic to the fraudulent server, which was found to be based overseas.
Anyone who has already clicked the link and entered their details is advised to contact their bank immediately and lodge a report with the authorities.
Source:
2. https://bernama.com/bm/news.
