CelcomDigi #AwasAlways – Be Alert and Protect Yourself from Scams

With the rapid advancement of technology, it has become increasingly important to protect ourselves from scams. Cybercriminals are constantly coming up with new strategies to trick people.

Mobile phones have become an important part of our daily lives and cybercriminals are aware of this. Our smartphones contain a ton of sensitive information such as banking details, emails, and personal data making them a perfect target for identity theft and fraud.

Unfortunately, many individuals have lost a large amount of money due to scams – sometimes their entire life savings. Scammers have found countless of ways to deceive people over the phone. Therefore, it is crucial that we take steps to stop these cybercriminals.

In an effort to raise awareness, CelcomDigi launched its anti-awareness campaign called #AwasAlways so that you can learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from scams and fraud.

Did you know? According to Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM), over 25,000 cases of cyber-crimes involving over RM855 million reported in 2022, shows a worrying trend of scams and frauds in Malaysia.

The dangers of Voice Phishing (Vishing)

Have you received a phone call claiming to be from an official organisation, like your bank? Are they asking for your personal information or your TAC information? Their goal is simple: steal your money, your identity or both.

Vishing could lead to scammers accessing your personal information and jeopardising your savings.

Think you may have received a vishing call? Double check any suspicious calls that are asking for your personal information. You can do this by contacting the official organisation directly.

How to spot and What to do when you receive a scam call?

1. Do not panic and remain calm. Report the incident to your family, friends, or police if necessary.
2. Do not comply with any instructions from the caller especially if you are being asked to provide personal/confidential information, such as TAC numbers.
3. Ask for more details from the caller. Get them to verify the information they have on you.
4. Remember to never reveal your personal information, such as IC number, address, and PIN numbers.
5. Record or make a note of the scammer’s information (phone number, time of incident and name).
6. Hang up the call.
7. Lodge an official report to the nearest police station, if necessary.
8. Alert your family and friends about the scam.
9. Block the phone number if the scammer keeps calling you.

The dangers of SMS and TAC Scams

Didn’t perform any banking transaction but received a SMS with TAC number from the bank? Scammers may send you a ‘TAC SMS’ using a mobile number/unidentified digit number/international mobile number, claiming that you made a banking transaction.

These scammers may have managed to obtain your credit/debit card info and when they make a purchase online, the TAC number will be sent to your phone number. They’ll try to trick you by saying they accidentally registered their TAC using your mobile number, and if you give them ‘their’ TAC number, they will make their purchase using your hard-earned savings.

To avoid falling victim to these scams, always confirm the authenticity of any suspicious activity by contacting your bank directly.

Always use the official contact number provided at the back of your bank card and to ensure the security of your accounts, request that your credit or debit card be replaced immediately.

Beware of SMS scam that entice you with offers of free rewards or promotions, as they are too good to be true. If there’s a website link in the SMS content, avoid from clicking it as it may be potentially harmful.

How to spot and What to do when you receive a scam SMS?

1. Slow down
   1. Acting too quickly can result in an error
   2. They want you to feel confused and rushed
   3. Don’t fall into the trap of providing an immediate response
2. Don’t call or click – Never, ever, ever call or click on an in-message link
3. Delete the message
   • Don’t risk accidentally replying to or saving that content on your phone
   • If you are reporting the message, feel free to take a screenshot for posterity, but then delete it completely
4. Report any suspected SMS directly to your bank or CCID Scam Response Center at 03-2610 1559/1599

Did you know? Celcom protected its customers by blocking more 7 million SMS scams from January-December 2022. #AwasAlways

What is a ‘Wangiri’?

Also known as missed call, it is a phone call scam where fraudster tries to extract money from potential victims by making short calls to trick users who are curious into calling back to a premium-rated number.

If you call back that missed call number, they’ll advertise anything from false prizes to free giveaways, and make the call last as long as possible so you get charged an insane fee for the call.

Avoiding these are pretty simple. Just don’t call back International or unrecognised numbers, hang up immediately if you pick up a call from a premium rate number, don’t share ANY personal details over the phone.

Did you know? Celcom blocked more than 330 Wangiri call scams in 2022 alone. #AwasAlways

How to report scams?

Are you or someone you know is a victim of a phone scam?

• Understand – Learn about all the major scams
• Identify – Be aware of and identify the scam
• Report – Protect yourself by reporting the scam to Celcom or Digi

To learn more about CelcomDigi National Scam Awareness campaign or to report scam, see below

• Reporting of scam involving bank transactions, dial 997 (National Scam Response Centre)
• For scams not involving bank transactions, contact Celcom and Digi’s customer helpline at 019-6011111 (Celcom) or 0162211800 (Digi)

To learn more, visit this link for more details.

Also check out this anti-scam booklet for simplified information on common types of scams, and how to identify the different tactics used to deceive people, as well as prevention tips and how to report them. Download here.

 

This article is brought to you by CelcomDigi.

CelcomDigi Berhad is Malaysia’s largest mobile network operator with more than 20 million users on its network. Established on 1 December 2022, the company aims to serve the growing digital needs of its customers by leveraging its newly combined widest network footprint, distribution touchpoints, innovative range of digital products and services, and superior customer experience powered by over 4,000 top industry experts.