New Straits Times has reported a scam incident involving a 55-year-old man from Jerantut, Pahang who had his bank account emptied after trying to buy the Enhanced Touch ‘n Go Card at a special price. The incident took place on 4th January when he spotted a Facebook advertisement offering the Touch ‘n Go cards.
Pahang police chief Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf said the victim had contacted the seller who impersonated an agent to sell the TNG NFC cards. He was offered a family package to purchase four cards for only RM32.
The “agent” later provided the victim with a link through WhatsApp to continue with the purchase. According to the police, the victim had provided his bank account details which include his username and password but failed to complete the transaction. Eventually, he realised that his bank account containing RM23,514 was emptied. The police said the case was being investigated for cheating and they urge the public not to download unverified apps, click on links shared by strangers or provide banking details to unknown third parties.
From the report, this appears to be yet another phishing attempt. Victims are typically tricked with a page which impersonates an online bank or eWallet login page. Once the victim provides their One Time Password, the scammers will be able to gain full control including the ability to transfer funds to another account.
The government has set up the 997 National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) hotline which is dedicated to handling scam reports. Scam victims are urged to call the 997 hotline immediately within 24 hours so that Bank Negara Malaysia can take action to block the outflow of funds. Between October to November last year, the NSRC hotline received about 4,000 calls and recovered about RM1.4 million of funds.
Online scams are a huge problem in Malaysia, especially with social media platforms like Meta which has a notorious track record of allowing scam ads to run on Facebook impersonating local brands and popular public figures. Most of these scam ads can be prevented through basic checks on new advertisers and if the platforms have a local moderation team which can monitor and quickly delete ads that violate its own policies.
Companies such as Meta have been relying on their algorithms for moderation which has obviously failed as more and more Malaysian endure huge financial losses. It is time for Malaysia to take a tougher stance to hold these platforms, which make huge profits from ads, accountable for aiding and abetting scam activities.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said its powers to act on social media platforms hosted overseas are limited and this would require a revision to our current regulatory framework. Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil has said that his ministry is currently assessing the best mechanisms to tackle scam ads on social media.
The Enhanced Touch ‘n Go card with NFC functionality retails for RM10. This card allows users to reload the TNG card via their NFC-enabled smartphone through the Touch ‘n Go eWallet. Until today, the RM10 card is hard to find but Touch ‘n Go appears to have plenty of stocks available if you buy their special edition Mission GreenPossible card for RM25 on Lazada.
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Related reading
- Enhanced Touch ‘n Go card with NFC: “Mission GreenPossible” edition card now available online for pre-order
- PDRM’s “Be Smart, Stay Alert” anti-scam music video is more of a blatant self-promo
- Communications minister advises the public to dial 997 if they have been scammed
- Fahmi Fadzil: MCMC, KKD studying and assessing best mechanisms to tackle scam ads on social media
