SIBU: The Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) is currently doubling their effort to create awareness on online scams throughout the country to prevent more people falling victim.
Its senior vice chairman, Datuk Seri Ayub Yaakob in his speech during the Police Station Visit programme at Lanang Police station said the number of people falling for online scams keep increasing and this needs to be curbed
“For the first seven months of this year, victims lost more than RM500 mil. If we add the loses from previous years, it will run into billions,” he said.
Ayub noted that despite numerous campaigns organised not only ordinary people, even professionals fall into the trap of various scams which include threats, loan offers, and too-good-to-be-true schemes.
“Despite being aware that the call is from scammers, people still fall for it as once you are in conversation with the scammers through the phone, you will submit or succumb to them.”
Thus, he pointed out that the best way to avoid being scammed is to cut off the conversation by switching off the phone.
“However, there are people who out of curiosity, still entertain the scammers to hear their ‘too-good-to-be-true’ offer as they do not want to miss the opportunity,” he stressed.
Ayub who was formerly director at the Department of Crime Prevention and Community Safety of the Royal Malaysian Police, warned the public to not take calls purportedly either from the police, judiciary department, home ministry or offers of loan and winning lucky numbers.
“Please don’t accept it, especially the ‘government departments’, they (government department) won’t call you to offer any benefits,” he said. Ayub also urged the community to work closely with the police such as having regular communication with the respective police station in the war against online scams.
Meanwhile Sibu police chief, ACP Zulkipli Suhaili expressed his appreciation to MCPF for nominating Lanang station for the ‘Excellent Police Station’ award and hoped they would win it. “Lanang station which was set up in 2005 has 54 policemen and four civilian staff.
“This station serves a total area of 1,395 sq metres with a total population of 70,764 people comprising 37,830 Chinese, Iban-23,453, Melanau-3,174, Bidayuh-126, Indian-62, others-215 and 2,654 foreigners involved in the plantation industry,” he said.
Also present was MCPF exco, Datuk Kamarudin Mohd Ali.
