If banks can see the scam, should victims still pay?


MALAYSIA has a compensation framework for unauthorised e-banking transactions. Yet, Bank Negara Malaysia’s 2025 Annual Report says about 95% of online fraud cases involve authorised transactions, meaning most cases fall outside the framework.

That distinction may make sense technically, but from a consumer-protection perspective, it is much harder to defend. A person who knowingly pays a legitimate bill and a person manipulated by a fraudster into transferring their life savings have both technically “authorised” a payment. But they have not made the same kind of decision.

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Banking and scams

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