KUALA LUMPUR – Over the last four years, Malaysians have lost over RM600 million to phone scams, with parcel-related fraud remaining a significant threat as criminal groups take advantage of people's trust in courier services.
Speaking to Scoop, Bukit Aman Telecommunications and Information Systems Branch director Commissioner Gilbert Philip Layang gave a serious warning to the public and advised against transferring money to free parcels, stating that legitimate courier companies do not require such payments.
“If a package has prohibited items, the courier company is required to submit a report instead of contacting the customer to give a warning and then bringing in the police for payment. That's not how it works.
"If we were indeed carrying prohibited items, we would be seen as suspects, and suspects wouldn't be informed in that way,” he said when contacted.
Out of the overall losses, over RM30 million was taken through 535 incidents where scammers pretended to be Pos Laju employees from 2022 until July this year. Gilbert cautioned that the increasing figures emphasise the critical need for awareness.
“This statistic shows that phone scams are a serious issue, and individuals should leverage technology to safeguard themselves in the constantly changing cyber landscape.
We are actively collaborating with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), courier companies, and financial organisations to combat these scams and ensure consumer protection,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gilbert said that the police and MCMC are ramping up their efforts to track down fraudulent numbers and prevent suspicious calls from reaching potential victims.
“We are strengthening our collaboration with the MCMC and urging individuals to verify unfamiliar numbers by using applications such as Whoscall. Simultaneously, collaborative efforts with Pos Malaysia and other courier companies are in progress to pinpoint syndicates that are pretending to be delivery personnel.
“By sharing operational numbers under the #ScamFreeMalaysia initiative, we can build greater trust in legitimate delivery calls,” Gilbert added.
However, the commissioner warned that scammers are using more advanced methods, often pretending to be officials or well-known companies to pressure victims into making quick decisions.
"If you get a suspicious call, stay calm and don't share personal or banking information. Scammers often create a sense of urgency to cause panic. Always check with the courier service or authorities before making any payments,” he said.
Gilbert encouraged victims to report these incidents right away to the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC).
"The sooner you report it, the better the chances of stopping the transaction and getting your money back," he emphasised, noting that awareness is the best defense against scams.
"Public awareness is our strongest tool. By staying vigilant and informed, we can outsmart these criminals and safeguard our hard-earned money. No enforcement effort can succeed without the public's help," he added.
Earlier this week, MCMC Commissioner and Online Harms and Information Security Committee Chairman Derek Fernandez also weighed in on scam prevention during a recent Scoop Insight podcast. He cautioned the public against using smartphones as digital wallets and advised against relying on debit cards for online transactions.
“Try to use a credit card instead of a debit card (for online purchase transactions),” he said. “I know, people don’t like me to say this, but the reason is this: Credit card companies are what they mean and called – they extend credit. In other words, technically they lend you the money… and because they are advancing their money, their level of security is much higher.”
Derek, who spoke alongside Big Boom Media and Podaboom Head of Podcasting Shazmin Shamsuddin and Scoop News Editor A. Azim Idris, said credit card companies are better equipped to detect fraud and disputes, unlike debit card users who may see their funds immediately drained.
@scoopdotmy Smartphones may be convenient, but they were never meant to serve as digital wallets – and when it comes to online payments, credit cards offer a crucial layer of protection that debit cards simply do not, said Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Commissioner Derek Fernandez. Speaking on the Scoop Insight podcast recently, Derek, who is the MCMC’s Online Harms and Information Security Committee Chairman – urged the public to take online safety into their own hands, beginning with a smarter approach to digital payments. His key advice: avoid using debit cards for online transactions #derekfernandez #onlinesafety #creditcard #fraud #scam #mcmc #beritaterkini #beritatiktok #newsattiktok #trendingnewsmalaysia #online #cybersec #cybersecurity
“You will see your accounts empty, whereas with the credit card, you won’t see an empty account – you will see a bill to say ‘pay back the balance’,” he said.
He advised users to reduce exposure by opening a separate bank account with limited funds for digital transactions and disallowing electronic transfers out of their primary savings account.
“In the worst case scenario, malware had gone into your smartphone and they drain your account… maybe your exposure is RM3,000 or RM5,000,” he said.
Derek also emphasised that smartphones were not built to be secure financial tools. “Sadly, most people do not know that smartphones were never really designed to serve as a wallet. It was designed as a communication tool… Every time you open an app, you open a door,” he said.
His remarks come amid the MCMC’s ongoing Internet Selamat (Internet Safety) campaign – a national initiative launched in January to curb online harms, including scams, cyberbullying and child grooming.
“We’ve had to remove some 60,000 suspected scam and fraudulent activities last year. And to date, this year, there are 35,000 of such attempts,” Derek said.
He added that awareness is the first and most important layer of defence, with the campaign already having trained over 33,000 students across 256 schools, including in Bintulu, Langkawi and Pulau Pinang. Efforts are ongoing to expand the campaign to 10,000 schools and higher learning institutions.
“We need to start at the school age so that they go through school and they learn this as part of their curriculum on online safety,” he said.
“The campaign is just the beginning. This is a national effort and we will continue to reach as many targeted groups as possible.” - July 18, 2025
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