Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations deputy president Paul Selva Raj also said the NSRC should take a multi-pronged approach to such programmes as a “one-size-fits-all strategy may not be effective”.

He said different demographics may be exposed to different types of scams.

In a statement, he said the youth would be more exposed to job scams while young working adults might be attracted to cryptocurrency scams.

Senior citizens with savings, meanwhile, might be duped by investment scams, he said, adding that it was therefore important to determine the “right medium” for getting the message across.

He suggested for example the use of social media to reach the younger generation and a face-to-face approach for the more elderly.

“The focus of the education programme is not just about delivering knowledge but helping consumers identify when a scam is being executed and, more importantly, getting consumers to adopt a proactive behaviour that would protect them from scams,” he said.

“The NSRC may also explore new players to work with to minimise scams. This would include online selling platforms as well as social media platforms,” he said, adding that such mediums played a “major role in the scams”.

Selva Raj also suggested that the country emulate Singapore by adopting a “shared responsibility” approach to ensure that victims do not bear the full brunt of scams.

Earlier this month, DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng called for legislation to hold negligent banks and telecommunications companies partially accountable for financial losses due to scams.

Lim, a former finance minister, proposed a “shared responsibility framework” where financial institutions, telecommunications operators, and consumers share the losses if they fail to exercise due diligence.