The Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) and the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM) has recently reiterated to the public that its member banks will never ask for sensitive customer information such as online banking username and password, and credit or debit card number via phone calls.
Under very specific scenarios, the banks may call customers for clarification. This will only happen if the bank suspects an irregular transaction has taken place. During these calls, banks may perform a verification check using partial personal information such as requesting for the last 4-digit of NRIC. This measure is taken to safeguard customers’ accounts and ensure the continued security of their financial information.
Customers who suspect that they have received a call from a fraudster should hang up immediately and call the bank’s official customer service hotline instead.
Once more, the banks would like to reiterate that they will never ask for the following information:
- Credit/ debit card number and card verification value (CVV) number
- Online banking username and password
- SMS OTP/ TAC numbers
In today’s interconnected and always-online world, the dangers relating to online banking fraud have become more apparent than ever. Thus, the banking industry has been making extensive efforts to work more closely with regulators and enforcement agencies to secure banking systems and digital platforms, enhance security measures according to the latest fraud modus operandi, and identify and freeze banking accounts associated with scammers and mule account holders.
Since July 2023, the banking industry has implemented a number of measures to increase banking security. Among these include replacing SMS OTP with a more secure authentication method; tightening fraud detection rules; performing cooling-off period for first-time registration of online banking access; allowing only a single mobile device or secure device to be registered; and enabling a 24/7 dedicated complaint channel for customers.
Customers that suspect that they have fallen for a scam should contact the National Scam Response Centre immediately at 997. Alternatively, they should contact the banks’ 24/7 customer service hotlines for assistance. To find the customer service hotline for any bank and learn how to identify the latest scam tactics, customers can visit www.JanganKenaScam.com.
Customers can also opt to use the Kill Switch feature on their online/mobile banking app if they wish to quickly deactivate their online banking access or block credit/debit cards that may be victim to fraudulent transactions.
