Stay cautious on social media to avoid scams, says Sibu MP’s aide

SIBU (Feb 26): Members of the public must stay vigilant while using social media, particularly Facebook, said Irene Wong, the special assistant to Sibu MP Oscar Ling.

She said scam tactics on the app have grown increasingly rampant of late.

“As the registration of Facebook accounts does not necessarily require verification of real identities, this creates opportunities for ill-intentioned individuals to open fake accounts, impersonate online sellers, and carry out fraudulent activities through buying and selling transactions.

“They also mislead the public by directing them to click on high-risk links,” she said in a statement yesterday.

“When victims follow the instructions and enter their personal information into these links, it may result in data breaches and financial losses.”

In addition, Wong stressed that the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and fake news is a growing concern.

“Certain parties use AI to create fake images or videos, accompanied by statements that were never made by the individuals concerned, and then circulate them widely on online platforms, especially Facebook.

“Due to the high level of visual authenticity, some people find it difficult to distinguish between what is real or fake, leading them to believe the content and resulting in misunderstanding or confusion,” she said.

She urged the public to exercise greater caution when engaging in online transactions involving personal information or financial matters, and also to verify the source of any news.

She also called on the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to strengthen legislation and monitoring mechanisms to ensure platforms involved in fraudulent activities are held accountable, and suggested the establishment of a task force to investigate and curb fake accounts, fake news and online scams.

“Social media should serve as a channel for obtaining accurate and up-to-date information, not a space where users must constantly guard against scams and misinformation,” she said.