Malaysians suffered RM2.23 billion losses from cyber-crime frauds
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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians suffered losses amounting to about RM2.23 billion from cyber-crime frauds since 2017.
According to statistics from the police, a total 67,552 cyber-crime cases were reported between 2017 till June 20 this year.
Of the total, e-commerce scams topped the chart with 23,011 cases, followed by illegal loans (21,008) and investment scams with 6,273 cases.
To put an end to this, the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) and Facebook Malaysia, in partnership with government agencies, industry players and consumer associations today launched a nationwide #TakNakScam awareness campaign.
The campaign is to educate the public on how to identify, check and report against the highly deceptive tactics employed by scammers.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Deputy Minister Datuk Rosol Wahid said that the development of eCommerce was akin to a double edged sword where frauds, scams and other cyber-crimes via digital platforms has increased in line with the success of digital businesses.
He said there were a total of 11,511 (33.2 per cent) complaints on online transactions recorded by the ministry last year, an increase compared to 5,416 (24.7 per cent) complaints received in 2019.
"The complaints have been steadily rising, and as of June 2021, it was one of the most frequent complaints received by the ministry at 45.2 per cent of total complaints.
"Both the government and private sectors must prepare to prevent an impending wave of fraud and if there are no drastic measures taken, the online scam will affect consumer confidence severely among others.
"A more holistic approach is needed to curb this issue that involves many cross agencies, and private sector collaborations," he said when delivering his keynote address via Zoom today.
He launched the #TakNakScam campaign in the presence of Bukit Aman CCID deputy director (Cyber-crimes and Multimedia investigation) Senior Assistant Commissioner Victor Sanjos, Facebook Malaysia interim country director Justin Murugaya, Bank Negara Malaysia Penang branch chief Hasjun Hashim and Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) deputy secretary Nur Asyikin Aminuddin.
Read more: Malaysians suffered RM2.23 billion losses from cyber-crime frauds
Hospitals can apply for ‘off-label use’ of Ivermectin, says health ministry
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June 25, 2021 3:55 PM
PETALING JAYA: Hospitals are allowed to apply to the Drug Control Authority to use Ivermectin for off-label use including treating Covid-19 patients, the health ministry said.
“Like any other medicine, including Lopinavir and Kitonavir, if there is a strong indication that it can be used, hospitals can apply to the Drug Control Authority for off-label use,” the ministry said. The Drug Control Authority is an agency under the health ministry.
But the use of off-label medication, the ministry said, must be done in a monitored environment. Off-label use is a term to describe a medical drug that is used for a different purpose than the one it was originally meant for.
The ministry said this in response to a demand by a private doctor asking a hospital in the Klang Valley to reveal if it had used the controversial drug to treat any Covid-19 patient.
Dr Amir Farid Isahak said based on the discharge notes he had obtained from a “close family friend”, the hospital in question had used Ivermectin, which is currently not recognised by the health ministry, for Covid-19 treatment of a patient.
Amir, whose clinic was recently raided by authorities for supplying the anti-parasitic drug, said the patient was a Category 5 case. He also claimed that the patient was not informed by any doctor or medical staff that Ivermectin would be used.
In early June, the health ministry and its Institute for Clinical Research began clinical trials to study the effects and effectiveness of Ivermectin to treat high-risk Covid-19 patients in 12 government hospitals.
“If it was given as part of a study, the patient would have been informed,” Amir told FMT.
Read more: Hospitals can apply for ‘off-label use’ of Ivermectin, says health ministry
MEDIA INVITATION: PRESS CONFERENCE ON MEMORANDUM SUBMISSION TO BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA ON CONSUMER COMPLAINTS RELATED TO INSURANCE INDUSTRY
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MEDIA INVITATION: PRESS CONFERENCE ON MEMORANDUM SUBMISSION TO BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA ON CONSUMER COMPLAINTS RELATED TO INSURANCE INDUSTRY
Referring to the matter, Federation of Malaysia Consumers Associations (FOMCA) and National Consumer Complaints Centre will be submitting a Memorandum regarding CONSUMER COMPLAINTS RELATED TO INSURANCE INDUSTRY to Bank Negara Malaysia.
Almost every consumers has some form of insurance these days. Policies ranging from housing, motorised vehicles, endowment, medical, life and many more have been evolving in different packages. Consumers are also investing in medical policies due to the increase of communicable and non-communicable diseases that have been constantly evolving. Having a medical insurance policy will be an added advantage as policy holders can seek medical attention or treatment at a private hospitals.
Nevertheless, the insurance industry has been identified as more of a bane than a boon by a big group of consumers. Numerous complaints have been voiced and lodged at the National Consumer complaints Centre (NCCC) with regards to insurance. NCCC which is a partner of Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) has been and continues to be concerned on the transparency of the procedures of insurance industry when handling consumers concerns and issues. This memorandum aims to highlight the ongoing types of complaints received from consumers in regards to insurance and the recommendations for a well-functioning industry alongside with well-informed consumers.
The event shall be held as follows;
Date : 16th July 2021 (Friday)
Time : 3.00pm – 3.30pm
Venue : ZOOM Platform: 1QZz09
Received By : YBhg. Encik Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour, Deputy Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia.
With regards to the above, we would like to extend a kind invitation to your organization to send media representatives. For further information please contact MR BASKARAN SITHAMPARAM, +60 19-578 9396
JEMPUTAN MEDIA: PENYERAHAN MEMORANDUM KEPADA BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA BERKENAAN ADUAN PENGGUNA TERHADAP INDUSTRI INSURANS
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JEMPUTAN MEDIA: PENYERAHAN MEMORANDUM KEPADA BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA BERKENAAN ADUAN PENGGUNA TERHADAP INDUSTRI INSURANS
Merujuk perkara di atas, Gabungan Persatuan-Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA) dan Pusat Khidmat Aduan Pengguna Nasional (NCCC) akan menyerahkan Memorandum berkenaan ADUAN PENGGUNA TERHADAP INDUSTRI INSURANS kepada Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
Hampir setiap pengguna mempunyai beberapa jenisinsurans pada hari ini. Polisi insurans merangkumi aspek perumahan, kenderaan bermotor, wasiat, perubatan, kehidupan dan banyak lagi telah berkembang dalam pelbagai pakej yang disediakan oleh pihak insurans. Pengguna juga melabur dalam polisi perubatan kerana peningkatan penyakit berjangkit dan tidak berjangkit yang terus berkembang. Memiliki polisi insurans perubatan akan menjadi kelebihan tambahan kerana pemegang polisi mempunyai pilihan untuk mendapatkan rawatan atau rawatan perubatan di hospital swasta.
Walau pun begitu, industri insurans lebih terkenal sebagai pihak yang boleh memberi faedah atau penderitaan kepada pengguna. Terdapat banyak aduan telah disuarakan dan diajukan oleh pengguna kepada NCCC berkaitan dengan insurans. NCCC yang merupakan rakan kongsi kepada FOMCA telah dan berterusan memberi perhatian terhadap ketelusan prosedur industri insurans ketika menangani masalah dan isu pengguna. Oleh itu, memorandum ini bertujuan untuk ketengahkan beberapa jenis aduan yang berterusan daripada pengguna mengenai insurans dan beberapa cadangan untuk industri memberikan perkhidmatan dengan lebih baik untuk pengguna yang berpengetahuan.
Acara akan diadakan seperti yang berikut:
Tarikh : 16 Julai 2021 (Jumaat)
Masa : 3.00pm – 3.30pm
Platform talian : Aplikasi ZOOM: 1QZz09
Diterima oleh : YBhg. Encik Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour, Timbalan Gabenor Bank Negara Malaysia.
Merujuk perkara di atas, kami ingin menjemput pihak media sebagai wakil media daripada organisasi anda. Untuk maklumat lanjut sila hubungi ENCIK MR BASKARAN SITHAMPARAM, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Malaysia’s new six-month loan ‘moratorium’: All you need to know before you say ‘yes’
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Wednesday, 14 Jul 2021 04:59 AM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — Malaysians can finally start applying for the six-month loan relief programme from banks which allows them to start making full payments again only in 2022.
But what do you need to know before deciding whether to take up the option?
If you are struggling with finances right now or expect to have difficulties paying your bank loans over the coming months this year, this six-month loan relief announced last month (June 28) under the Pemulih economic package may provide some temporary and near-instant financial relief.
But is this plan suitable for everyone?
Malay Mail combed through the FAQs and information about Covid-19 payment assistance including the plans provided by three of Malaysia’s largest banks (Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank) on their websites as well as general information from Bank Negara Malaysia, and here’s a quick summary of the main points you should know:
1. How does the Pemulih loan payment assistance work?
Generally, you are given two options: a) A six-month moratorium on your loan, which means you will not be making any payments for six months but will defer or postpone making payments until after the six-month period ends; or b) A 50 per cent reduction in monthly loan installments for six months.
Note: This applies to bank loans in general, but different banks may offer different payment assistance for different types of financing such as car loans or credit card bills. (Check your own banks’ FAQ and terms and conditions.)
2. Who can ask for the six-month moratorium or six-month half payment?
Individuals, small medium enterprises (SMEs), and microenterprises can apply from July 7 to their respective banks to “opt-in” for the six-month moratorium or halved monthly installments.
This is open to all individuals from all income brackets — B40 low-income category, M40 mid-income category or T20 high-income category.
Your application for the six-month moratorium or the 50 per cent monthly loan instalments under Pemulih will be automatically approved, without you needing to provide any supporting documents. The banks will essentially be relying on borrowers’ self-declarations.
Read more: Malaysia’s new six-month loan ‘moratorium’: All you need to know before you say ‘yes’
Rogue sellers prey on people’s reliance on e-shopping
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Friday, 09 Jul 2021
PETALING JAYA: As more Malaysians rely on e-commerce websites to purchase items during the movement control order, the number of complaints on such purchases has also risen.
When the MCO was first imposed in March last year, many complaints on related products like face masks and sanitisers were lodged, according to National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) senior manager Baskaran Sithamparam.
“Many consumers relied on purchasing their daily needs from e-commerce sites.
“Rogue sellers (scammers) took advantage of the situation and started offering their products on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others.
“Many buyers were scammed and until today, we still receive complaints from consumers scammed by these sellers on social media,” he said when contacted yesterday.
The NCCC comes under the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca).
Baskaran said for legitimate e-commerce platforms, the type of complaints received mostly touched on their refund and return policy which were said to be tedious and time-consuming.
“Besides that, the vendors were also defended by the (online) selling platforms when consumers receive substandard products.
“There were also complaints on misleading information, defective products and products that were not as advertised,” he added.
However, he noted that recently, some issues regarding refunds and return policies from legitimate e-commerce platforms have improved slightly.
“Some consumers also face issues pertaining to e-wallet withdrawals,” he said, adding that consumers should be allowed to withdraw their own cash within a short time period.
On sellers on social media platforms, Baskaran said many scammers posed as sellers.
Read more: Rogue sellers prey on people’s reliance on e-shopping
LETTER | Destroying the financial future of the poor- FOMCA
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LETTER | The EPF estimates that the minimum retirement savings needed per worker after retirement is RM240,000 that is based on the calculation of RM1,000 per month for 20 years. Before Covid-19, 67 percent of those registered with EPF did not even have that minimum. Further, again pre-Covid, EPF reported that 50 percent of contributors above the age of 54 have savings of below RM50,000. Thus even before the pandemic, Malaysians were not saving enough for retirement mainly due to low incomes.
During the pandemic, through the i-Letsari, i-Sinar and i- Chitra schemes, EPF contributors were allowed to withdraw their retirement savings to face the current economic challenges for themselves and for their family’s urgent needs. Most certainly it would be the poor and desperate who would seek to withdraw their future retirement savings for current needs.
Recently, the EPF CEO stated that 6.3 million or 42 percent of the EPF's total membership have less than RM10,000 in their Account 1, which is meant for retirement savings while 9.3 million people have less than RM 10,000 in Account 2, which could be used for such purposes as purchasing a house, medical bills or children’s education.
The savings in Account 1 is for retirement while the savings in Account 2 is for major financial needs such as for purchasing their first home or their children’s education or emergency needs such as their unexpected medical expenses.
Based on the withdrawals for the three schemes, i-Lestari, i-Sinar and i-Citra, it is highly probable that for many of the contributors, after their withdrawal from the various schemes, the savings remaining is almost gone. They would have nothing left for the needs of their families, such as education and housing needs or have enough for their retirement. Due to their urgent current emergency needs, their future critical needs have had to be abandoned.
Is this the best way for the government to help those in need?
The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) strongly believes that adequate financial support should have been given directly to those in need. Forcing people to use their own future emergency and retirement savings to face the current crises is grossly unfair for the future wellbeing of the rakyat. The most badly affected would certainly be the poor and the vulnerable.
If workers and consumers are forced to use their own savings to rescue themselves from the current crises, it clearly indicates how grossly inadequate the current social protection programmes are. And this does not even include the hawkers and contract workers outside the EPF system who have completely no social protection.
The current approach of using EPF savings for current emergency needs will definitely cause severe suffering as workers face a spike in healthcare costs and very low savings in their retirement years.
Read more: LETTER | Destroying the financial future of the poor- FOMCA
Be wary of shopping via social media platforms - FOMCA
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FOMCA has been receiving numerous complaints from people who have been cheated when shopping via social media platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, WeChat, WhatsApp, Telegram and others. Buying via social media platforms is unadvisable.
The government is encouraging Malaysians to venture into online businesses as the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted many people due to job loss, while some have been forced to take no-pay leave.
Although there are many sincere sellers who are selling their products such as food, clothes, art and craft, etc, to make ends meet, nevertheless, there are many who are using online platforms to cheat guileless consumers.
The largest number of reports were on non-delivery of goods purchased. Most of the complaints were regarding sellers not delivering the promised goods, sellers were missing, ghosting, etc.
Most of the transactions ranged from RM30 to RM9,000. Once payments were made, the scammers disappeared without a trace. Even the websites and phone numbers were no longer available.
Besides being victims of online scams, many consumers also claimed to be given the runaround and when it came to product delivery, with some products taking more than a month to arrive.
While many online sellers are legitimate, social media scammers use the internet to rip off unsuspecting shoppers. They will often ask consumers to wire transfer money upfront.
As more Malaysians turn to the internet to purchase goods and services, there is a pressing need for an improved legal framework to protect rights of consumers.
The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs and Ministry of Communication and Multimedia Commission should regulate online sellers who use social media to sell their products and services.
Many of them are not registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia. Consumers are urged not to trust any social media platform to do any transaction.
Read more: Be wary of shopping via social media platforms - FOMCA
Rosak RM8,000, tuntut sampai RM30,000
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30 Jun 2021
SHAH ALAM - Sebahagian penilai atau adjuster yang terlibat dalam sindiket penipuan tuntutan insurans berperanan membuat pengiraan tidak telus terhadap kenderaan yang terlibat dalam kemalangan jalan raya.
Melalui cara menaikkan tuntutan dengan melakukan penipuan atau tuntutan palsu, pembayaran balik kerugian menjadi berlipat kali ganda yang perlu dibayar syarikat insurans.
Hanya meletak status 'total lost' atau musnah sepenuhnya pada kenderaan yang terlibat dengan kemalangan, pihak penilai sudah boleh tersenyum ceria.
Apa tidaknya, mereka boleh mendapat keuntungan besar kerana tidak perlu menukar ganti kerosakan malah bahagian kenderaan yang masih elok boleh dijual dengan mudah.
Kisah benar ini dikongsi sendiri oleh seorang ejen insurans dikenali, Kamil yang mengetahui di sebalik ketirisan tuntutan insurans kemalangan yang berlaku di negara ini.
Katanya, kelebihan yang ada pada penilai insurans kemalangan kerana golongan ini boleh membuat runding harga dan mempunyai ramai kenalan dalam kalangan pemain industri.
“Sebagai contoh, jika berlaku satu-satu kemalangan, nilai harga kerosakan yang perlu dibaiki sebanyak RM8,000 tetapi mereka boleh menaikkan nilai kerosakan sehingga RM30,000,” katanya.
KPKT nafi tawar pembiayaan peribadi
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Julai 1, 2021 @ 1:31pm
KUALA LUMPUR: Kementerian Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan (KPKT) menafikan ada menawarkan pembiayaan peribadi 'Lestari Pinjaman Peribadi KPKT' kepada orang awam seperti yang tular di media sosial.
KPKT dalam satu kenyataan memaklumkan, semakan dibuat pihaknya mendapati laman media sosial terbabit diwujudkan oleh pihak tidak bertanggungjawab dan menyalahgunakan logo kementerian itu serta logo syarikat Kredit Komuniti berlesen yang didaftar di bawah Akta Pemberi Pinjaman Wang 1951 (Akta 400).
"KPKT menafikan pembabitan dan tawaran iklan terhadap pembiayaan peribadi 'Lestari Pinjaman Peribadi KPKT' kepada orang awam.
"KPKT memandang serius terhadap mana-mana pihak atau syarikat pemberi pinjaman wang berlesen atau tidak berlesen yang menyalahgunakan logo KPKT, logo Kredit Komuniti dan lesen pemberi pinjam wang untuk tujuan penipuan," menurut kenyataan itu.
Menurut kenyataan itu lagi, kementerian akan melakukan siasatan serta menyerahkan perkara terbabit kepada Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Komersial (JSJK) Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) untuk tindakan lanjut.
Selain itu, aduan turut dibuat kepada Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM).
"Orang awam dinasihatkan untuk lebih berhati-hati dalam menerima sebarang tawaran pinjaman yang diiklankan.
"Sekiranya terdapat sebarang keraguan berhubung iklan yang dipaparkan, orang awam dinasihatkan untuk terus menghubungi Bahagian Kawalan Kredit Komuniti (BKKK), KPKT ditalian 03-8891 4690/4668/4658/4708.
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