With the onset of Covid 19, scams have been on the increase. Scams are intelligent methods used by unscrupulous people to cheat other innocent people, usually of money. Covid 19 has caused humongous damage to the livelihood of many people. A big number of people have lost their jobs and businesses. But, life has to go on. Those affected monetarily have families to feed too. Many have no way out. With the easy availability of technology, some people have resorted to scams. And at the same time, we have dishonest people who are too lazy to work, becoming scammers to earn easy money. Some greedy people want to earn money without lifting a finger. They are tempted with attractive offers by scammers to get involved in schemes with the false promise that they can earn extra money for a small fee. Such people easily become victims. With just a mobile phone and a computer, scammers cheat people from their homes.
It’s very frightening when one sees the number of fraud cases and the amount of money lost in Malaysia. According to Bukit Aman Comercial Crime Investigation Department, there were a total of 15,935 online fraud cases with losses amounting to RM380 million reported in the first nine months of 2021. And, over the last 10 years, online fraud cases had increased by 60.6 per cent. It’s a worrying trend as after so much has been said about scams there are still people easily duped by scammers. Another study by Telenor indicated that among countries like India, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, Malaysians were the most easily cheated by scams.
The most common scam is the Macau scam. In 2021, a private organization reported that there were 1,585 cases of Macau scams with losses amounting to millions of ringgit. While 9,646 arrests were made in the year it is still common. it was also reported by police that a monthly salary of rm3000, bungalow stays, and a 3% commission for each scam were offered as perks to members of the Macau scam in one state in Malaysia. All the employees were taught fraud techniques, involving disguising as enforcement officers to new employees. Malaysians must be careful as scammers nowadays are well-organized and are given specialized training to carry on their fraudulent schemes. The Macau scam has been often highlighted but still many people fall into the trap. Usually, the scammer will act as an official from an enforcement agency like the Royal Malaysian Police. With correct training, the scammer will fit in nicely as a police officer. Usually, the victim will get a phone call from a phoney scammer pretending to be an enforcement officer. The scammer will frighten the victim by saying that the victim has got into serious trouble for not paying some outstanding fines or loans. The scammer will offer to help if the victim is willing to transfer some amount of money into a particular account. Once the frightened victim transfers the money the work is done.
Additionally, phishing scams are also becoming popular. This scheme involves a fraudulent practice of sending emails from reputable companies to induce one to provide personal financial information. Usually, the scammers will ask for passwords and credit cards numbers. Often, an individual will receive an email or a call stating that he or she has have worn a sum of money. Then to transfer the money they say they need banking details and once you give that’s it. Your money in the account will be siphoned totally. Many people have fallen victim to this kind of scheme. Love scams or catfishing is usually targeted at rich lonely singular individuals. They will spend precious time and buy gifts for the person. They will also show love and affection. Once they have gained trust they will be intimate and take photos. Slowly they will ask for money. If the victim does not cooperate they will start blackmailing using intimate pictures.
Another frightening scam is threatening to arrest you for crimes or for breaking rules and regulations. They will say you have done something against the law and a warrant of arrest have been issued. Then they will say that they will help you out. And of course for a sum of money. Usually, naive people will fall for such scams. Some of the scammers here will normally impersonate officers from law enforcement agencies like the police. They will go to the extent of doing homework to find out the modus operandi of law enforcement departments. ” Fake person fraud” happens when scammers hack into social media accounts like Facebook. Once successful, they will then take over your account by changing the user name and password. The hacker will then send messages via emails or Facebook messenger to close friends and relatives of the account holder asking for help. They will say things like, the real account holder has met with an accident or is in trouble to request money. These scammers are usually technology-savvy people who can hack into the accounts of others.
Employment scams are also becoming popular. The Covid 19 pandemic has caused unemployment among the young to increase. Until today, there are still many retrenched youths desperately looking for jobs. Unscrupulous people take advantage of such situations to cheat. This involves fake advertisements for job opportunities that claim to be recruiting people with a high income. Then they will ask you for your bank account number for salary payment purposes. People who need a job will easily fall into the trap. Some scammers cheat people by offering good deals for commonly popular goods and products. Many people are greedy and love good deals so fraudsters use these shortcomings to cheat money. They will offer cheap prices of things people love, like branded mobile phones or tablets. They will normally send pictures online and push an individual by saying it”s selling fast and they don’t have much stock. Once you pay them online the deal is done. You will not be able to contact them anymore. In another similar scam, the scammers will tell you have won a big prize. They will also tell you that you have to confirm and collect the prize on the same day. They will ask for your credit card number and ask you to pay the administration charges. They will put you under pressure and ask you to settle the deal fast in order not to give you time to ask others or think about the deal. The cheating deal is done once you give the details. Finally, some fraudsters are brave enough to mimic the voices of friends and family members. I believe with the current technology this act is not difficult. They would pretend to be in trouble and ask or beg for some money. They will sound very troubled and say it is urgent. They will speak in such a way to ensure you show empathy and feel sorry.
As scams are on the rise, beware and be careful of potential scams that will make you a victim. It might happen to you anytime. There are also new scams happening around us. The public must educate themselves with the necessary knowledge to avoid becoming victims. Always be careful if someone contacts you online suddenly and request your personal information. Financial institutions or government agencies will never request your credit card or bank account number. Be cautious if you receive emails, text messages, calls or voice mails from someone new. Call the contact if you have a contact number to verify. Don’t communicate much with people you don’t know and ask personal questions like ” How many children do you have”. Probably one way to find out whether a person is married or single. Also, be careful of unusual payment requests or when shopping online. If the offers are too good to be true please be beware and talk to someone close to verify. Always review your privacy and security settings in social media accounts to secure your account. Finally, be alert that there are many kinds of scams and know the people you are dealing with before doing any business with them.
Educate yourself with knowledge about scams.
Palaniappan Karuppan is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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