Kota Kinabalu: Mutiara GRS President Datin Seri Juliah Salag said professionals, civil servants, students and homemakers are just as vulnerable to online scams as the elderly, urging communities to verify information and think critically before acting on suspicious offers.
“A smart community is one that is always vigilant, thinks before acting, verifies information before making decisions and is not easily swayed by offers that seem too good to be true or appear suspicious,” she said.
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Juliah, who is also the wife of the Chief Minister, said this when opening the Komuniti Bijak, Bebas Scammer programme at the Bangunan Persatuan Rumpun Bajau Samah in Tuaran recently.
She said fraudsters are operating through fake phone calls, messages impersonating financial institutions, non-existent job offers, fraudulent investment schemes and online purchase scams, warning that no segment of society is immune to such tactics.
Juliah said the rapid growth of digital technology had brought great convenience to daily life but had also given rise to increasingly sophisticated and difficult-to-detect scams that threaten communities across the country.
She called on every member of society to play their part, saying parents must teach their children to use technology wisely, community leaders should share only verified information, social media users must refrain from spreading unconfirmed content, and members of the public should remind one another to stay alert.
“I believe that when the community has a high level of knowledge and awareness, the space for scammers to deceive victims will become increasingly narrow,” she said.
Meanwhile, Organising Chairwoman and Persatuan Nadi Kasih Tuaran President Noorziah Mastan said the programme was initiated out of concern that scam-related crimes had become a serious and growing threat to society, with fraud syndicates constantly adapting their methods to target new victims.
She said the programme was jointly organised by Persatuan Nadi Kasih Tuaran and the Tuaran District Office, with support from Mutiara GRS, Universiti Utara Malaysia, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, the police, the Immigration Department, educational institutions, non-governmental organisations, strategic partners, sponsors and volunteers.
Noorziah said the programme aimed to raise public awareness of the real threat posed by scam crimes and to educate individuals on the measures they can take to protect themselves, their families and their communities.
She expressed confidence that the knowledge gained during the programme would help participants recognise scam tactics and avoid becoming victims.
Also present were Tuaran District Officer Ibrahim Turki, Persatuan Permuafakatan PPD Tuaran Chairman Datuk George Teo and Tuaran District Police Chief Supt Noraidin Ag Maidin, among others.
