Nestlé Malaysia warns of fake MILO Ramadan contest

Nestlé Malaysia has warned Malaysians of a scam contest featuring its MILO brand. 

The MILO Ramadan contest offered cash prizes to the public upon completion of a questionnaire. In a statement, the company said that the contest was a scam which aimed to mislead the public. 

"Nestlé views this matter seriously and has reported it to the relevant authorities," said the company. 

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Nestlé Malaysia added that anyone who receives or comes across the fake MILO Ramadan Content should not share it, not provide any personal details such as bank account numbers and to not make any payments. 

"Please only refer to our MILO official website for contests," it added. 

This isn't the first time MILO has been a target of scams and frauds. In 2015, it was found that counterfeit versions of MILO packaging and MILO powder were being produced in Negeri Sembilan. At the time, Nestlé Malaysia assured consumers that the company is committed to providing the best quality products, adding that the safety and quality of its products is a non-negotiable priority. 

Scams in Malaysia remain a pervasive issue, with 74% of Malaysians encountering scams monthly, according to a 2024 scam report by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA). 43% of Malaysians reported an increase in scam encounters over the past year too, indicating that scammers are becoming more aggressive in finding new ways to exploit digital channels. 

The Malaysian government has since been pro-active in removing scam and fraud content. In September last year, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commision removed 32,676 fraud and scam content, adding that the nation has lost more than RM3.18 billion from 2021 to April 2024 as a result of fraud.

That said, Malaysians still feel that more can be done, with 26% of participants rating the actions of the government as very bad, leading to skepticism about the effectiveness of reporting and the belief that it won't lead to a resolution. As such, 70% of Malaysians do not report scams to law enforcement, said the GASA report. 

Photo courtesy of MILO Malaysia, Facebook.

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