PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) advised the public to be wary of calls from unknown individuals impersonating its officers.

In a statement today, the MCMC notified that over the past week, they have seen an increase in reports on such cases, with the callers aiming to deceive victims for specific purposes.

"The callers introduce themselves as MCMC officers and claim that the victim's phone number has been used for criminal activities. They say that if the victim fails to comply with the given instructions, their line will be blocked or blacklisted," the statement read.

MCMC emphasised that announcements or notifications concerning its affairs are usually disseminated through formal channels such as email, the MCMC website, or its official social media platforms, and not communicated through individual names, private mobile numbers, or dubious language.

Furthermore, authorities, including the MCMC, do not solicit personal details and information from individuals, it added.

MCMC urged the public not to fall prey to calls from unknown parties and advised them to set up call blocking or rejection lists on their phones or obtain software or applications to block incoming calls or SMS.

"Immediately report suspicious calls to the police or the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) at 997, which operates from 8 am to 8 pm.

"The public can also visit the Sebenarnya.my portal to verify any unauthenticated news," the statement added, emphasising that public vigilance is crucial to prevent people from falling victim to scams, personal information theft, and other forms of crime.

-- BERNAMA