Many Malaysians have become victims of frauds and scams. The biggest syndicate reported is Macau Scam where a total of 4,865 investigation papers on the Macau Scam syndicate were open by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (JSJK) of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM). Many individuals losing thousands of ringgit even millions and some of them losing their lifetime savings due to this scam.
Furthermore, since the beginning of the Movement Control Order, many Malaysians have become victims of frauds and scams since many have lost their source of income and are seeking for an easy way to make money. Read these 8 anti-scam apps that can help to prevent you yourself from falling victim to an online scam. Don’t be a scammer’s next victim.
1. Scam.my
You can use this app to get the details of scammers such as name, phone, bank details and more. It is really helpful to prevent yourself from being scammed before making any transaction. Just simply enter the details of the other party you want to check and result shall be shown whether the person has a history of scamming people or not.
Now, the app also comes with blacklisted property developers from Ministry of Housing and Local Government.
2. Semak Mule
This app allows the public to check if a bank account or phone number belongs to a scammer. Semak Mule app was an initiative by the PDRM to help Malaysians to check if the owner of a bank account or phone number has any criminal records. The app was launched in January of 2019 and it can be found on the Google play store.
3. Truecaller
Truecaller is the world’s best Caller ID & Spam Blocking app. This app can help you identify unknown numbers, spam or companies calling before picking up. It also helps block numbers and auto-block telemarketers and robocalls. Truecaller makes your communication safe and efficient by protecting you against unwanted calls. This app available on Google Playstore and Apple Store.
4. Call Blocker
One of the most effective apps to prevent unwanted calls. Call Blocker helps you block the phone you don’t want to answer, and bring you a quiet environment. It has “detect and stop one-ring phone scam” feature to prevent possible phone scams. You can add unwanted numbers to blacklist and also add important phone numbers to your whitelist so they can always reach you. This app available on Google Playstore.
5. Whoscall-Caller ID & Block
Whoscall is a highly-regarded phone app with Caller ID & Block function. Besides calls and text messages service, this app is well known for its identification of incoming calls & SMS and the blocking feature of malicious spam calls & SMS. Whoscall is powered by its massive database with over 1 billion numbers.
This app has been recognised as one of Google Play the most popular app in Taiwan. It also rewarded as Google Best App in 2013, 2015 and 2016. You can download this app on Google Play and Apple Store.
Some valuable tips to prevent you yourself from falling victim to an online scam.
1. Be careful with the auto login or Remember Me mode
Mobile phone users should be careful with the auto login or Remember Me mode whenever surfing websites. Some tends to choose Auto Login mode – especially banking transactions. It’s not wrong to use the features as you don’t need to repeatedly enter the password. But, it is still risky especially when you access to public internet. Moreover, it will become even more risky if your laptop or mobile phone is lost or stolen. The person can immediately access to your personal bank account easily.
2. Always update or change your password
You are advised to always update or change the password and be sure to choose a password that is hard to guess. Don’t simply use your birthday as your password as it is very easy to guess. Choose something that is hard to guess. Furthermore, always remember not to share your private information with anyone else. Do not allow someone else to use your bank account to avoid the account from being misused by scammers.
3. Do not easily believe any call purportedly from the police or court
Scammer has the same pattern to scam people. They will say you are involved in a criminal case and they are calling from a police station or court. Note that police or court has set guidelines to follow before any arrest could be made.
So, when you receive such a suspicious call, the best thing to do is to go straight to the police station to check on any report lodged on you or refer to the court registrar. Do the same thing to if it involves a bank
