KUCHING, June 28: The number of cases of identity theft is becoming quite prevalent these days, according to SUPP Public Complaints Bureau (SPCB), and the following are what the public can do to protect themselves from this problem.
- Share minimal personal information on social media;
- Do not give personal information and photocopy of identity card when dealing with an unfamiliar party;
- Do not click on any link in suspicious e-mail, messages or website;
- Set social media account to private mode and only add people you know;
- Do not key in your username or password from links in e-mail; and
- Do not be greedy and stop communicating when a deal is too good to be true.
SPCB chief Wilfred Yap gave these tips following a case where a woman sought his and Kapitan Kho Phek Choo’s help to clear her identity that was fraudulently used by a third party.
In a statement, Yap narrated that the woman, surnamed Chan, sought assistance after she was asked to give more information on a complaint she had lodged earlier about her identity being used as a company director by a third party.
He said Chan is a fast-food seller and had sought SPCB’s help previously. She had previously informed  Kho that she was scared after receiving the letter from the Companies Commission of Malaysia alleging that she had failed in her capacity as a company director to file the annual statement of accounts of a company.
Chan informed SPCB that she is not a shareholder of any company and had never signed any document agreeing to be a director of any company. She has also lodged a police report on this matter.
Yap said he and Kho would follow up on this issue until the predicament facing Chan is resolved and the culprit brought to justice.
SPCB is always ready to lend a helping hand to anyone facing problems or who come across problems of public interest but does not know how to deal with it. Anyone requiring assistance can call its mobile number at 016-7797688 or 082-246999 or go direct to SUPP head office to request for assistance. — DayakDaily
