Online Safety IRL: Scam Edition, a national scam resilience program supported by the Ministry of Communications, has concluded its second edition after reaching more than 18.3 million users online through youth advocacy, creator-led content, and real-world scam simulations.
Online Safety IRL Reaches >22M Views Via Content Creators
Per organizers, content creators involved in the program produced over 360 pieces of scam literacy content across social media, amassing more than 22.3 million video views; beyond digital content, youth advocates also conducted community engagements reaching over 650 Malaysians, spanning students to senior citizens across multiple states. Brands including CelcomDigi, Meta, and Tonton forms part of the program’s efforts.
A key component of this year’s program was an interactive scam-spotting simulation that placed more than 900,000 users in realistic scam scenarios, designed to test how people identify warning signs and respond to scam attempts under pressure. The program reported that participants demonstrated stronger awareness compared to the first edition, showing more caution and willingness to report suspicious activity and educate others about online safety risks.
“The reach and impact of Online Safety IRL: Scam Edition demonstrate what can be achieved when the government, industry and other stakeholders come together with a shared commitment to protecting Malaysians in the digital space,” said Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Communications. “We look forward to deepening this collaboration and advancing our collective efforts to build a safer and more trusted digital ecosystem.”
New Su Shern, Executive Director of Ratio:Cause, the agency executing the program, said: “Rather than relying on awareness alone, we focused on designing behavioral change interventions that are grounded in real-world experiences and built to scale across communities. When learning is embedded into the environments where risks actually occur, people don’t just understand the message but are more likely to change how they respond as well.”
Pokdepinion: Hopefully this converts to less scam victims down the line.
