SHAH ALAM: Consumers will get an added layer of protection against online parcel scams through the newly launched Parcel Shield initiative, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said.
He said the initiative, launched today, would provide additional protection for consumers against scammers operating on e-commerce platforms.
Fahmi urged the public to report suspicious activities or content to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and remain vigilant against fraudulent delivery notifications.
“We want to raise public awareness about scams involving fake parcel deliveries, including messages claiming that a delivery attempt was unsuccessful and asking recipients to click a link to retrieve their parcels.
“These are tactics used by scammers to hack mobile phones and gain access to bank accounts. We want consumers to remain vigilant and avoid becoming victims,” he said at a press conference after launching National Courier Day 2026 here today.
He added that between Jan 1 and Oct 30 this year, a total of 13,045 pieces of content involving scams, gambling and prohibited services were detected on e-commerce platforms.
“Of these, more than 5,000 were scam-related items reported by the public, while 172 involved gambling and 7,789 involved prohibited services,” he said.
He said the figures reflected growing concerns alongside the rapid expansion of the courier sector, which employs an estimated 120,000 workers nationwide and handles about 1.5 billion parcel deliveries annually, or approximately 2,800 parcels every minute.
“However, alongside this encouraging growth, there are also growing concerns, particularly online scams and fraud,” he said.
Fahmi said MCMC was assisting enforcement agencies in requesting e-commerce platforms to remove prohibited content under Section 263 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.
As of yesterday, 44 investigation papers had been opened involving content that had been requested to be taken down. Two cases had resulted in court charges, while more than half remained under investigation, he said.
Fahmi said MCMC, the Communications Ministry and courier companies would work together to raise public awareness of parcel-related scams, particularly fraudulent delivery notifications designed to trick recipients into clicking malicious links.
The initiative would also involve sharing information on identified scam tactics with Parcel Shield members for assessment before alerts and safety advisories were issued to relevant parties.
This approach would enable industry players to take preventive action early and reduce the risk of consumers falling victim to scams.
Meanwhile, the Postal Forum will intensify its public advocacy programmes to improve consumers’ understanding of their rights and responsibilities when using postal and courier services.
Appointed by MCMC as a self-regulatory body under the Postal Services Act 2012, it also provides a second-level complaints channel for consumers dissatisfied with how service providers have resolved their complaints.
Meanwhile, Fahmi said amendments to the Postal Services Act 2012, which would also cover the courier sector, are expected to be tabled in Parliament as early as the middle or end of next year.
“We have only just received policy approval for the amendments, and the drafting process will take several months before the proposed changes are submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for review and subsequently brought back to the Cabinet.
“After that, the amendments will be tabled in Parliament, which we expect to take place as early as the middle or end of next year,” he said.
