Digital scam prevention at scale demands more than a firewall when criminals reach people through TV, social media, online community spaces and face-to-face encounters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Malaysia’s largest mobile network operator, serving more than 20 million customers, CelcomDigi addresses this challenge through its Awareness, Compliance and Technology (ACT) framework. This three-pronged structure provides a layered, yet complementary approach to scam prevention. It builds public awareness, enhances network protection and supports safer digital experiences. It also contributes to broader national efforts to strengthen digital trust and resilience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CelcomDigi\u2019s S.A.F.E. Internet programme uses multiple approaches to reach the public. These include jointly organising the National Anti-Scam Townhalls, known as Jelajah Anti-Scam Kebangsaan. CelcomDigi also partners with government agencies such as CyberSecurity Malaysia and the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation, alongside a dozen other microconsultancies and technology solution startups in the scam prevention ecosystem. The state-level events, launched by heads of state and ministers, reached more than 12,000 Malaysians across nine states. National media further amplified the impact of each event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CelcomDigi also partnered with Meta, Ratio and Tonton, a video-streaming platform, on the Online Safety IRL public advocacy campaign. Supported by the Ministry of Communications, the campaign aims to combat digital harms. The initiative uses a multi-stakeholder strategy involving fellowship tracks for popular content creators and youth leaders. It also uses simulated deceptive ads and gamified education to foster safe online habits and situational awareness. The second edition of the national programme used simulations to strengthen public awareness and response amid increasingly sophisticated AI-driven scams. The campaign has achieved significant reach. Initial waves educated nearly 1 million individuals through the scam-spotting simulation, while influencer videos generated over 22.3 million views.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, CelcomDigi co-produced a series of weekly public service segments on TV3 with Media Prima. Kisah Benar: Scam Siber (True Stories: Cyber Scams) features dramatised re-enactments of scam stories, with each episode averaging four million viewers. A series of online content was also developed with the Royal Malaysia Police and MalaysiaKini news portal. It ran across four languages over twelve months. This was further amplified through on-ground awareness campaigns in schools, university campuses and community touchpoints using the S.A.F.E. Internet module. In collaboration with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission through the Safe Internet Campaign, more than 1,000 National Information Dissemination Centre locations extended that reach to underserved communities. Each initiative forms part of CelcomDigi\u2019s digital scam prevention strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CelcomDigi is strongly committed to cybersecurity. It embeds advanced digital trust and safety mechanisms into its core network infrastructure and maintains active ISO accreditation for its cybersecurity and information security management systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As the leading telecommunications provider in the country, the company actively combats cyber threats such as AI-driven scams and identity fraud. It does this through strict verification protocols and automated threat intelligence. Together with the rest of the industry, CelcomDigi blocked SMS messages containing harmful hyperlinks, personal information requests or callback numbers. CelcomDigi also centralised scam reporting through its website to speed up mitigation and escalation to local authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the technology side, CelcomDigi developed MobileSHIELD in collaboration with F-Secure. The AI-powered app protects users from scam SMS, fake websites, malware and unsafe Wi-Fi connections. Meanwhile, WebSHIELD and a Voice Firewall add a network-level protection layer. They block access to phishing websites and malicious domains, as well as automated flash calls, robocalls and spoofing attempts. They also alert customers to suspicious caller IDs. PrivateSIM offers an additional eSIM as a second line, reducing subscriber exposure of their main number to spam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Together, MobileSHIELD and WebSHIELD give digital scam prevention a network and device-level dimension. Furthermore, CelcomDigi\u2019s National Scam Awareness Survey 2024 polled more than 10,000 Malaysians to guide future prevention measures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CelcomDigi\u2019s awareness programme reached more than 12,000 Malaysians through in-person townhalls across nine states. The Kisah Benar: Scam Siber 999 TV series achieved 5.1 million viewers during launch and an average of 4 to 4.3 million viewers for its weekly episodes. The campaign was scaled through additional short-form content capsules, quiz modules and cross-channel promotions. It reached 14.4 million video views across official platform handles. CelcomDigi also pushed timely scam alerts to its entire base of more than 20 million customers through apps and SMS notifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The National Scam Awareness Survey 2024 gathered responses from more than 10,000 Malaysians, providing data to inform future campaigns. CelcomDigi\u2019s compliance and technology pillar also reduced the surface area for SMS-based attacks through industry-wide content blocking. Overall, CelcomDigi demonstrates that effective digital scam prevention requires action across public education, regulatory compliance and network-level controls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Participating organisations: <\/strong>CelcomDigi; CyberSecurity Malaysia; Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF); Gabungan Bertindak Anti-Scam (GBAS); F-Secure; Royal Malaysia Police; MalaysiaKini; Ministry of Communications Malaysia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n