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KUCHING, July 16 – Complaints about online transactions accounted for 45.2% of the total complaints received by the Ministry of Internal Trade and Consumer Affairs in June this year, said Deputy Minister Datuk Rosol Wahid.
He said that while the government encourages the development of e-commerce, it is also a double-edged sword, as fraud, scams and other cybercrimes through e-commerce and digital platforms have increased directly, correlating with the success of digital businesses.
“In 2020 alone, there were a total of 11,511 (33.2%) complaints about online transactions recorded by the ministry, which is an increase from the 5,416 (24.7%) complaints received in 2019.
“These complaints have continued to increase and, in June 2021, it was one of the most frequent complaints received by the ministry with 45.2% of the total complaints,” he said. during the launch of the #TakNakScam campaign via Zoom organized by Facebook, working with the ministry, police and other government agencies today.
Rosol pointed out that during the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers have moved significantly to online channels, especially e-commerce, and that the government also recognizes the increase in these online activities and e-commerce, in particular when the movement control ordinance has entered into force.
“The Malaysian e-commerce market saw an amplified growth of 32.7% in 2020, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic itself. This, along with the growing consumer preference for simplified, accessible and varied payment options, is further driving the growth of the e-commerce market in Malaysia.
“In addition to this, the growth of Malaysia’s e-commerce has provided opportunities for future traders to operate; hence creating employment and investment opportunities. In 2020, Malaysia had one of the highest internet penetration rates in Southeast Asia, â€he said.
Rosol unfortunately said the ministry also acknowledged that the rate of acceleration of e-commerce created more opportunities for fraud and abuse.
He said the ministry had taken an active role, including law enforcement and consumer awareness in various forums.
“The government and the private sector must prepare to prevent an impending wave of fraud and if no drastic action is taken, online scams will seriously affect consumer confidence, among others,†he said.
Rosol said a more holistic approach is needed to tackle this problem, involving collaborations between government agencies and the private sector.
As such, he said the collaboration between the government and Facebook is highly appreciated and commendable, and that the government fully supports the #TakNakScam campaign initiated by Facebook Malaysia.
“Facebook, as a leading social media platform in Malaysia, has shown a good initiative to collaborate with various government agencies by leading the way and providing the opportunity for the public and private sectors to work together to raise awareness, encourage more commitments and empower them. to act as part of the #TakNakScam campaign.
“The #TakNakScam campaign will run for three months, from July to September. We hope for a fruitful and fruitful outcome where the government will continue to support this initiative to protect consumers against fraud and deception, â€he said.
In his welcoming remarks, Facebook Malaysia’s Acting Country Director Justin Murugaya said police statistics showed cybercrime in Malaysia was increasing to an alarming level.
“A total of 67,552 cyber scam cases over the past five years, from 2017 to June 2021, recording a total loss of RM2.23 billion. This includes 23,011 e-commerce scams, 21,008 illegal loans and 6,273 investment scams.
“The most prevalent financial scams in Malaysia are bank or government identity theft, illegal loans, money mules and investment scams,” he said, warning against scams that are becoming more and more sophisticated and credible.
Justin said it’s more important than ever for the public and private sectors, industries and consumer associations to come together to fight scams.
“We hope the #TakNakScam campaign will help spark conversations among everyday Malaysians to raise awareness, educate and encourage critical thinking, and empower them to take action by reporting scams to the appropriate authorities.
“We also hope that this campaign will support the goals of various government agencies, financial services sectors, NGOs and law enforcement in building a stable online ecosystem in Malaysia,” he said.
Among those present at the virtual launch were Deputy Director of Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) on Cybercrime and Multimedia Investigations SAC Victor Sanjos, Head of Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Penang Office Hasjun Hashim , and the Deputy Secretary of the Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) Nur. Asyikine Aminuddin.
The #TakNakScam campaign is a joint effort between the Ministry of Home Trade and Consumer Affairs, Royal Malaysian Police CCID, Bank Negara Malaysia, Securities Commission Malaysia, Bursa Malaysia Berhad, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, Cyber ​​Security Malaysia, The Association of Banks in Malaysia, Fomca and Association for Consumer Education and Research Malaysia.
The goal of this national campaign is to help raise awareness, encourage critical thinking and empower the public to take action through streamlined, easy-to-understand messages as part of the #TakNakScam joint lead campaign. – Borneo Post Online
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