To help increase awareness of scams among Malaysians, CelcomDigi is running a Scam Awareness Survey across the country, targeting Malaysians aged 18 and above for responses. The survey will begin on 6 February at 307 CelcomDigi-managed Pusat Ekonomi Digital (PEDi) located around the country and last until 15 March 2024.
The awareness campaign is in conjunction with Safer Internet Day. Malaysians are often targeted by scammers as 76% (according to the latest Ipsos report) have either encountered or been targeted by online scams, according to the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC). The funds lost from these scams total up to RM1.34 billion in 2023.
According to CelcomDigi’s Head of Sustainability Philip Ling, “As scammers grow increasingly advanced in endangering the wellbeing of Malaysians, we want to optimise our resources and network to drive stronger visibility and preparedness against the threats of scams. Findings from this survey is crucial for us to tailor educational initiatives that can address specific gaps in scam awareness while creating more targeted campaigns for the community. Additionally, the findings will also be insightful for policymakers and enforcement agencies to enhance collective actions in the war against scams.”
On top of this awareness survey, CelcomDigi has been conducting events to promote a safer internet experience for Malaysians. The telco kickstarted a joint nationwide roadshow Jelajah Anti-Scam Kebangsaan in 2023, conducting a series of SAFE @Schools digital safety talks and creating a one-stop SAFE Internet educational resource page for the public to easily access and download digital safety materials.
The general public can also take part in the survey by visiting the survey site here.
Google also launched its own Safer Internet Day-related campaign by sharing daily safety tips on X, formerly known as Twitter. Originally begun as a regional project in Europe back in 2004, Safer Internet Day is now a global event happening every February. This year’s edition has been scheduled to take place on 6 February.
