KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 — People need to be more careful and verify any information received to avoid falling victim to fake news and scams, said Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching.
She said the era of digitisation now allows information to be easily manipulated by parties with malicious intent, especially information disseminated in social media.
Therefore, Teo said people need to be more aware in evaluating any information received before acting on it or sharing it with others because it has the potential to be a threat if it is fake news or has elements of a scam.
She said the public can use government channels to check the validity of information or news.
“For example, if there is news about the Social Welfare Department (JKM) giving assistance, open the JKM website and see if it has started new applications for assistance. If there is none, it means that the information is most likely fake news.
“First, ask ourselves if the information is correct. If we are not sure, check and not spread it,” she said on the ‘Pastikan Sahih’ programme broadcast on TV1 today.
Apart from that, Teo also said people who suspect they have become a victim of scams should quickly contact the National Scam Response Centre on 997 so that rapid action can be taken by the authorities.
“This is a one-stop centre that allows relevant parties to take immediate action to stop the outflow of a victim’s money as soon as they realise someone has fallen victim to a scam,” she said.
— Bernama
