World · Malaysia Bureau
BNM alerts public to scammers spoofing official hotlines, impersonating finance officials
Bank Negara Malaysia has warned the public to exercise caution against fraudsters using phone numbers mimicking government hotlines and posing as Ministry of Finance officials. The scam attempts have prompted authorities to remind Malaysians of verification procedures before sharing personal information.
LSN Malaysia ·
KUALA LUMPUR — The central bank has issued a public advisory cautioning Malaysians against a growing scam operation involving impersonation of government officials and spoofed phone numbers resembling legitimate state assistance hotlines.
Bank Negara Malaysia said the fraudsters are using phone numbers similar to those of the Special Relief Fund (STR) and the Sara hotline, while falsely claiming to represent the Ministry of Finance. The scammers typically contact unsuspecting members of the public by phone, attempting to extract personal and financial information through deception.
Authorities advise residents to independently verify any official communication by calling established hotline numbers directly rather than using contact details provided by unknown callers. Members of the public should also refrain from disclosing sensitive information such as banking details, identification numbers, or personal identification codes over the phone to unverified callers.
The warning underscores the evolving sophistication of financial fraud schemes targeting Malaysian consumers. Bank Negara has urged anyone who suspects they may have been contacted by such scammers to report the incident to local police or the central bank's financial crime investigation unit immediately.