A new report says Malaysia is one of the worst-affected countries of deepfake scams.
The Malaysian Reserve, citing a study by a VPN provider says Malaysia has lost RM1.9 billion in losses due to such scams.
This puts Malaysia in second place globally in terms of deepfake scam losses, behind only the US.
According to the report, a whopping 97% of the losses were due to fake investment schemes
This is followed by love scams and impersonation scams, where scammers use AI‑generated videos or voices of family members to trick their victims.
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The Finance Ministry has confirmed that it has issued guidelines to govt ministries and agencies to reprioritise their operational spending.
This is in line with ongoing challenges due to the global supply crisis and rising subsidy commitments.
It adds that the guidelines are part of a prudent fiscal approach, so that govt funds are used more efficiently.
Despite this, the ministry assured that the move will NOT affect essential public services or economic stability.
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Meanwhile, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil says the Prime Minister has ordered the govt to scale down their events and activities.
Datuk Fahmi also says the govt is looking into implementing a more targeted diesel subsidy mechanism in Sabah and Sarawak.
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In other news
The JPJ says it will adopt the MyDigital ID system as the only login method for Malaysian users of its MyJPJ app, starting this Friday.
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A study by an international VPN provider, Malaysia ranks second globally in terms of Deepfake Scam losses, totaling RM1.9 billion.
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Police have so far recorded witness statements from 9 people, after a former Johor politician accidentally shot and injured himself in Kota Tinggi.
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Police have obtained a two-day remand extension on a military officer who’s alleged drunk driving caused a fatal accident MEX highway last week.
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And Indonesia says the death toll from the train collision near Jakarta earlier this week has risen to 16.
All the victims were female passengers on board a women-only coach.
