Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil reveals authorities have flagged 127,568 online scam contents, including fake RM100 SARA payment announcements.
PETALING JAYA: A total of 127,568 scam-related online contents, including fake government announcements about RM100 Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) payments, have been flagged for removal, said Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the figure accounted for 27% of all content removal requests received by the authorities, with Facebook making up 53% and TikTok 39%, while the remainder involved other platforms.
“Scam content that has been detected and requested to be taken down, including information about additional SARA payments that were not announced by the Finance Ministry, has reached 127,568 as of today.
“This represents 27% of the total requests for content to be removed,” he said during his weekly post-Cabinet media briefing today.
Fahmi said the figures showed that Facebook and TikTok were the two platforms where the highest number of scam-related contents had been detected, although the data covered only cases reported to the authorities.
He said the widespread use of fake accounts made it easier for false information to be created and rapidly disseminated online.
Fahmi urged Malaysians to verify government announcements through platforms such as Sebenarnya.my and MyCheck, as well as mainstream media, before sharing or acting on the information.
Asked whether the government would consider establishing a centralised platform for the public to verify the authenticity of government announcements, Fahmi said fake accounts remained a major concern, particularly in relation to scams.
He said the government was also taking regulatory measures through the Child Protection Code (CPC) and Risk Mitigation Code (RMC), which social media platforms covered under the framework would be required to comply with.
“We have given these platforms some time over the coming months to ensure that all necessary measures are taken in a coordinated manner to prevent harmful content that could threaten property or lives from being allowed on their platforms,” he said.
Fahmi said enforcement was also resource-intensive, with Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) officers requiring between 30 and 45 minutes to process each content removal request.
“This takes up considerable time and costs for the government,” he said.
