MCMC clamps down on 2,823 social media accounts for fraudulent activities

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has taken action against 2,823 social media accounts between 2018 and mid-March this year for fraudulent activities. According to MCMC, 80% of the accounts were deleted in accordance with the terms and conditions of the respective social media platforms. According to network security and enforcement chief officer Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin, the move is in a bid to protect consumers from impersonation by irresponsible parties on social media. He added that the actions taken by MCMC are in line with public complaint. "Stern action will be taken against individuals found to have violated existing laws," he added. Zulkarnain urged victims to report the matter directly to the relevant social media platforms or to MCMC. He also reminded consumers to always practice self-regulation and be sensitive to various risks online. Meanwhile, MCMC's internet safety campaign "Klik Dengan Bijak” (Click Wisely), which aims to increase consumer awareness of the importance of using the Internet prudently, has seen over five million participants since its introduction in 2012. MCMC recently advised Facebook and Instagram users to change their passwords if they receive alerts that their passwords are in a format readable by Facebook’s internal staff. This came after routine security checks conducted by Facebook in January found that passwords of some Facebook and Instagram users have been stored in a format that its internal staff could read (text format common), even though the system used is designed to encrypt passwords. (Photo courtesy: 123RF)