A cautionary tale unfolded when a Malaysian content creator narrowly avoided a scam attempt after innocently clicking on a link supposedly sent by a telco company.
Photo via Instagram (@shahirahshahs)
Shahirah Shah, a former lawyer now full-time content creator, took to Instagram to share her ordeal on Tuesday, 27th February. She recounted receiving a dubious SMS on 25th February, seemingly from her telco provider, urging her to redeem expiring points for rewards through a provided link.
The message seemed legitimate, as it came from a short code typically used by her telco company for billing notifications. However, upon clicking the link, Shahirah found herself on a phishing site designed to mimic the telco's official website.
The site offered tempting deals, including an air fryer for a mere RM1.37. Caught up in the allure of the offer, Shahirah entered her credit card details and the one-time password (OTP) received from her bank. It wasn't until she noticed discrepancies in the OTP messages that she grew suspicious.
Realising she had fallen victim to a scam, Shahirah immediately contacted her bank to freeze her account. Fortunately, due to reaching her credit limit, the scammers were unable to syphon any money from her account.
In a subsequent video update on Friday, 29th February, Shahirah admitted to disregarding her initial suspicions once she saw the enticing offer of the air fryer.
Despite facing criticism for her actions, Shahirah emphasised that her intention was to raise awareness about the scam, urging others to exercise caution when clicking on links received via SMS or email, especially when they seem too good to be true.
It's a stark reminder for Malaysians to remain vigilant against online scams, as cybercriminals continue to employ sophisticated tactics to deceive unsuspecting victims.
