KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians have been warned to stay alert amid the rising tide of online scams disguised as "investment" opportunities" or shopping deals that seem too good to be true.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) vice-president Datuk Indrani Thuraisingham said scammers typically baited victims with schemes or deals promising quick gains or huge savings with no risks.
These scams are often made to appear believable by linking them to clone websites.
Indrani said there were ads that promised RM10,000 in returns within 24 hours for a RM200 investment and "instant loan approvals".
"These scammers often ask victims to transfer money into personal accounts, using urgency like 'limited time only' to pressure quick action," she said, adding that many such schemes exploited the anonymity of online platforms and weak user awareness.
Clone websites selling branded goods at unusually low prices were also prevalent, she said.
"These fake e-commerce sites are designed to steal payment data or personal information, and in many cases, victims either receive counterfeit products or nothing at all."
Indrani urges consumers to be aware of "dark patterns" — deceptive website design tactics that manipulate user behaviour, such as fake scarcity warnings, items added to shopping carts without consent and subscription traps that are hard to cancel.
"Malaysia has yet to regulate dark patterns. India is currently the only Asia-Pacific country with comprehensive guidelines targeting these tactics," she said, citing the Indian Central Consumer Protection Authority's 2023 law banning 13 specific practices.
She advised consumers to cross-check investment offers through the Securities Commission's Investment Checker, use the Semak Mule portal to verify bank account details and report suspected scams via the National Scam Response Centre hotline at 997.
"Always be sceptical of anything that sounds too good to be true — it usually is," she added