ASEAN must cooperate in war against scams - Fahmi

PETALING JAYA, Feb 18 (Bernama) -- ASEAN countries need to make a concerted effort at the regional level to combat online fraud, says Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

He said this was because online fraudsters were always looking for loopholes in the laws of other countries.

"The laws that apply in Malaysia may not apply in neighboring countries," he told reporters after officiating the 2023 National Anti-Scam Roadshow programme at the CelcomDigi Tower here, today.

According to Fahmi, almost every ASEAN member country raised the issue during the recent ASEAN Digital Ministers Meeting.

"There is a need for government-to-government and police-to-police cooperation (among ASEAN member countries) as well as a regional framework to manage data transfer," he said.

He said every year, Malaysia recorded losses of over half a billion ringgit a year through scam crimes, while Singapore reported losses of over two billion Singapore dollars. 

"Scammers are very creative in conducting online fraud but it is not a creative industry that the Ministry of Communications and Digital wants to develop. The core factor (in fighting online fraud) is the attitude of the people themselves, which is to always be careful and alert," said Fahmi.

The 2023 National Anti-Scam Roadshow launched today is jointly organised by CyberSecurity Malaysia, CelcomDigi and Gabungan Bertindak Anti-Scam (GBAS).

The programme held in conjunction with the celebration of Safer Internet Day (SID) 2023 aims to provide education and awareness on how to recognise scam calls as well as to share tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of online scams or other cyber threats.

-- BERNAMA