.jpg)
By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright October 2023
A reader of Mihar Dias recently shared her experience after receiving an email allegedly from the Malaysian Police Department, notifying her of a purported traffic violation carrying a RM50 fine. Below is a summary of her encounter:
Upon receiving the email, she initially felt a sense of panic and her immediate instinct was to click the orange button labeled "Verify your fine."
However, she wisely decided to consult her husband about any recent traffic violations they might have overlooked.
Together, they carefully examined the notice and came to the realization that the language and tone used in the email did not align with how official police communication is typically worded.
To confirm the legitimacy of the message, she decided to cross-reference the information by checking the MyJPJ App.
To her relief, her car number was not listed on the app's website as having been issued any traffic summons by the police. This raised serious doubts about the authenticity of the email.
Now, the critical question is, how do scammers expect to profit from sending out such notices?
We can speculate that had she pressed the orange button, it's highly likely that she would have been directed to make an online payment of RM50.
In the process, the scammers might have seized the opportunity to collect her personal banking information, putting her financial security at risk.
In conclusion, this incident serves as a cautionary tale for all readers.
Online scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated and resourceful. It's essential to exercise vigilance when encountering unsolicited emails or messages, especially those that demand personal or financial information.
Always verify the source, and if in doubt, seek guidance from official channels or trusted individuals before taking any action.
Your online security and personal information should never be compromised due to hasty decisions.
But most of all do not panic when you get such notices. Keep cool. Consult the authorities before taking any action. Scammers expect you to instinctively react to their notice and fall into their planned scams.
Mihar Dias is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact Newswav.
