It was reported that 6 victims aged between 24 and 59 years old have lost RM295,350 in total last week through fake applications sent by an online scam syndicate. 4 reports were lodged in Kuala Lumpur while the remaining two are from Penang and Sarawak.
According to the Bukit Aman’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Zakaria Ahmad, the 6 victims were contacted by strangers that claim to be from the authorities such as the police. After the call, the victims will be sent a link on WhatsApp to download an APK file (nbm.apk). The victims were told that the app was from Bank Negara Malaysia and they must provide their personal and banking information through the app.
Once the victims provided the necessary details, the scammers can proceed to transfer money out to another bank account. To complete the process, they would then ask the victims to share the TAC that was sent to their devices. The police have urged the public to be more vigilant especially when getting calls from unknown phone numbers and not to share sensitive details. The public can contact the Police via the Commercial Crime Investigation Department hotline via WhatsApp at 013-2111222.
Increased cyber threats during MCO
During the COVID-19 outbreak and Movement Control Order, scammers are taking advantage of those that want to stay up to date or applying for cash aids. Last month it was discovered that a fake Coronavirus app was stealing credit card and login credentials from victims.
The Nasional Cyber Security Agency and National Cyber Coordination and Command Centre have also warned about the increase of cyber threats during the MCO. After the announcement of Bantuan Prihatin Nasional and i-Lestari withdrawal facility, it was discovered that scammers are sending fake apps to fool victims into providing their account details and TAC numbers.
The NC4 has also warned the public not to click on links or to download any apps from unknown sources. They advise all users to only download applications from legitimate app stores such as Google Play Store, Apple AppStore, Huawei AppGallery and Samsung Galaxy Store.
Don’t be a mule for syndicates
At the same time, bank account holders are warned not to provide their bank account details or ATM cards to strangers. The Association of Banks Malaysia had previously warned that some syndicates are offering profits and rewards if you share your bank account with them.
By allowing scammers to use your account for scam activities, you could be prosecuted by the law for aiding criminals. It was reported last year that the police have detained 145 individuals for allowing their personal bank accounts to be used as mule accounts.
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