KUALA LUMPUR – The National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) has received over 49,700 calls from victims since the centre was formed in October last year.
Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (Lenggong-BN) informed the Dewan Rakyat today that out of the total, 11,040 calls were made by victims where the incident had occurred within less than 24 hours.
“And from these figures, a total of RM128,944,63.73 losses were recorded, with RM24,471,12.74 recovered from the scammers and returned to the victims,” he said.
In his response to Datuk Mohd Nizar Zakaria (Parit-BN), the deputy home minister said that the ministry has also launched the Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy (MCSS) 2020-2024 to strengthen the country’s cybersecurity preparedness.
He said that the Communication and Digital Ministry, together with several other securities agencies, have been entrusted to formulate, monitor, implement, and coordinate the medium-term action plan.
He further said that the strategy is formulated based on five main pillars, which include 12 strategies, 35 action plans, and 113 programmes for cyber security mechanisms.
“The first out of the five main pillars outlined in MCSS is to improve the cybersecurity administration, followed by strengthening cybercrime enforcement as well as existing related legislation.
“The remaining pillars in the strategy are to empower world-class innovation in the cybersecurity industry, increase capacity for development and skilled personnel in the industry, and strengthen international cooperation to protect our country’s cyberspace.
“However, the issues and challenges faced by the authorities in curbing cybercrimes, especially online fraud crimes, are the increased use of sophisticated information technology, which allows criminals to connect with victims across borders.
“Technology advancements had also enabled cybercriminals to erase their tracks, making it difficult for authorities to track them down.”
However, he said, the Home Ministry as well as the police are on high alert for any online crimes, especially scams, and have implemented various methods and efforts to ensure the rakyat’s cyber safety. – November 1, 2023