The Ministry of Communications and Digital (KKD) has instructed all telco companies in our country to block URL links in short message services (SMS). The directive, made through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was issued in order to prevent consumers from being victims of online fraud and scams.
As reported by BERNAMA, KKD Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching elaborated that the measure would be implemented in phases. Moreover, she hoped that the companies involved would be able to implement the directive soon.
Speaking to reporters after appearing as a guest on Ai FM in conjunction with RTM’s 77th-anniversary celebration yesterday, the KKD Deputy Minister was quoted as saying,
“MCMC has given this directive to telco companies to ensure that no one presses the wrong URL and possibly end up as victims (scam). Several online scams happen when people click on the wrong link, and after giving their personal information, they find themselves being scammed,”
Back in January, KKD revealed that approximately RM600 million in losses were recorded throughout 2022 as a result of scams and other cyber crimes in Malaysia. Last month, Nie Ching also shared that cybersecurity threats have been on the rise in our country lately and called for the public to be vigilant online.
Circumventing online scams has also been given attention by the Unity Government under the recently passed Budget 2023. Among others, RM10 million has been allocated to The National Scam Response Centre (NSRC), while Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) had also required all banks to add a ‘kill switch’ to let account holders freeze their accounts when suspicious activities are detected.
So, what do you guys think of the directive given to all telco companies to block URL links in SMS? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
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