Scam calls in Malaysia surged to 2.98 million in 2024, rising by 82.81%
Scam calls in Malaysia skyrocketed by 82.81% in 2024, rising from 1.63 million in 2023 to 2.98 million in 2024. This, according to Whoscall’s 2024 Annual Report.
Whoscall, a caller identification and scam prevention app developed by Gogolook, also highlighted a steep rise in fraudulent SMS messages, which increased by 19.97%, from 4.41 million in 2023 to 5.29 million in 2024.
The report comprises data collected from eight countries: Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Brazil, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. Among these, Malaysia recorded the highest rate of personal data leaks, with 72.5% of users who checked Whoscall’s ID Security feature discovering that their information had been compromised.
According to Voon Chang Liew, Business Development Director of Gogolook Malaysia, “While phone numbers were the most leaked data across all countries (98% in Malaysia) among users, Malaysia stands out for its high rate of name leaks (89%), followed by addresses and emails.”
“This makes impersonation scams more convincing, as scammers exploit leaked names to pose as banks, government agencies or delivery services,” he added.
Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) Director, Datuk Seri Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf, also underlined how scammers are employing new tactics using artificial intelligence.
“AI-driven scams, including deepfake videos of celebrities and politicians, are making it easier to deceive victims into fraudulent investments or phishing traps. These scams are becoming harder to detect, especially for the elderly, who are often targeted due to their financial savings”, he said.
“To combat this, PDRM (Royal Malaysia Police) continues its strategic partnership with Whoscall by sharing PDRM verified scam numbers in Whoscall application, recognising AI-powered solutions as a critical first line of defence.
“As scams grow more advanced, distinguishing real from fake will be increasingly difficult, making tools like Whoscall essential in protecting the public,” he added.
Sources: [1] The Star, [2] New Straits Times
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