MCMC blocked 101.66mil spoof calls between Feb and Aug, says Teo

 The deputy communications minister says this was achieved by a new initiative involving different network providers, since the beginning of the year.

Deputy communications minister Teo Nie Ching said MCMC will hold an online meeting with Meta tomorrow regarding public complaints about blocked WhatsApp accounts. (Bernama pic)

KULAI:

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), in collaboration with telecommunications service providers, blocked a total of 101.66 million scam or spoof calls from February to August.

Deputy communications minister Teo Nie Ching said the success was achieved through the implementation of the Inter Operator Spoofing Gateway initiative, which involves different network providers, since the beginning of the year.

She said that scammers from abroad use Caller ID Spoofing tactics to display phone numbers as if they are from local telco networks to deceive victims in this country.

“The total number of spoof calls blocked, amounting to 101.66 million, proves that this initiative is very effective,” she told reporters when met at the Watch a Movie with the Kulai MP programme here today.

She said this when asked to comment on the number of scam calls blocked so far.

Meanwhile, Teo said MCMC will hold an online meeting with Meta tomorrow regarding public complaints about blocked WhatsApp accounts.

She said the meeting was to obtain a detailed briefing regarding the case.

“We (the ministry) will wait for the results of the meeting,” she said.

MCMC had previously reported that it was investigating public complaints regarding WhatsApp accounts that were reported to have been hacked, blocked, or no longer accessible.

The commission also said it has submitted the case to Meta for clarification and appropriate action. - FMT