MCMC Boosts Safe Internet Campaign As Scams Rise In Labuan

LABUAN, Aug 12 (Bernama) – Online banking fraud has overtaken other petty crimes as the most pressing concern in this duty-free island, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said.

Federal Territories MCMC director Faisal Hamdi Mohammed Ghouth said the MCMC will boost its Safe Internet Campaign further to ensure that people at all levels are equipped with the knowledge and skills to protect themselves against cyber-related crimes.

He said victims include retirees and housewives, and even those working in the financial and information technology sectors have not been spared.

“MCMC is working closely with Bank Negara Malaysia, conventional banks and local authorities. With just a hotline call to 997 — the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) — operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, we hope to assist in combating online financial-related crimes.

“The call must be made immediately upon receiving scam calls or feeling victimised, not days after the incident.

“We continue to engage with local enforcement agencies to effectively address online scams,” he told reporters after officiating the Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) programme with local enforcement agencies here today.

Faisal said the surge in online financial crimes prompted the OSINT programme’s implementation in Labuan. 

The programme, running from Aug 12 to 14, aims to train local enforcement agencies by strengthening the ability to tackle cybersecurity challenges, inappropriate content issues and various legal violations under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and other related laws. 

MCMC Central Region senior director Mohamad Rizal Ahmad said OSINT is an essential skill in the digital era for gathering, analysing and evaluating information from social media, websites and e-commerce platforms.

“With the right techniques and tools, it helps us act more proactively, quickly, and accurately…this training also enables agencies to conduct their own profiling more effectively,” he said.

He said the OSINT programme is the second in a series of six sessions planned for this year. 

Mohamad Rizal said the first session was held in Melaka, and the training will be brought to other locations to ensure that enforcement agencies nationwide benefit from it.

He said over the three-day programme, participants would be exposed to modules including OSINT introduction and techniques, new media management, practical applications through case studies, investigation and raids as well as digital forensics and data preservation. 

Each session is conducted by experienced MCMC officers, with a hands-on approach to ensure participants can apply these skills in real-world assignments.

-- BERNAMA