Kuala lumpur: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has received 121 reports regarding scam advertisements that misuse the names and images of high-profile individuals on social media, as announced by Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Teo stated that notable figures whose identities have been exploited in these fraudulent advertisements include His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia; Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, the Sultan of Pahang; Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, the Sultan of Selangor; and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Teo herself was recently targeted in a scam ad on Facebook, which falsely claimed she was distributing 2,000 free books, highlighting concerns about the role of platform operators in facilitating such scams.

Teo expressed her frustration during Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat sitting, mentioning that despite MCMC's efforts to report these fraudulent activities to Meta, the parent company of Facebook, the ads persistently reappear. She noted that although one ad was removed, another followed, reaching a sixth version by the next morning.

Teo accused Meta of continuing to accept payments from scammers to publish these ads, despite being alerted to their fraudulent nature. In response to a question from Chong Chieng Jen (PH-Stampin) about potential legislative changes, Teo mentioned that MCMC is drafting an online safety code. This code aims to guide platform operators and related parties in the responsible publication of ads on social media, aligning with recent amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Teo also indicated that MCMC plans to incorporate advertiser identity verification, similar to measures in Singapore, to enhance the effectiveness of the new safety code. As part of its ongoing efforts, MCMC has successfully removed 46,817 fraudulent contents as of mid-July, and there has been a significant increase in scam-related post takedowns over the past few years.

MCMC is actively collaborating with social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to address scams, investment fraud, online gambling, and the sale of unregistered products, ensuring compliance with community guidelines and local laws.