“Digital Dangers: Rising Gaming Scams Target Teens on Discord and Instagram”

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 — Malaysian adolescents are encountering rising dangers in the online realm, where scams, impersonations, hacking, and internet gambling are increasingly prevalent.

As indicated by the Social & Economic Research Initiative (SERI)’s crucial white paper examining teen social media usage in Malaysia, more than half of the nation’s teenagers have faced scams on social platforms, with fraudulent offers and phishing tactics leading the way.

The report, titled “Teens, Tech and Trust: Navigating Social Media in Malaysia,” revealed that 56 percent of teenagers claimed they were able to identify a scam and evade victimhood, while 33 percent said they had never come across one, and an additional 11 percent acknowledged encountering scams and falling prey to them.

Approximately 39 percent of the youth surveyed expressed confidence in detecting a scam, with 31 percent indicating they were somewhat confident, 14 percent very confident, 11 percent somewhat unconfident, and five percent completely lacking confidence.

“This susceptibility is further exemplified by a real-life case presented in one of our interviews. The respondent recounted an event involving a friend who placed trust in a stranger on Twitter for a transaction related to a game top-up.

“The offender persuaded the friend to download an application that requested access to his photographs. Once permission was given, the offender accessed the victim’s album, generated explicit AI-created videos, and threatened to publish them unless a ransom was paid.

“Even though the friend contacted law enforcement, he felt they were unable to provide any substantial support. The situation concluded without further follow-up, highlighting how susceptible teens are to online manipulation and the dire repercussions of neglecting such threats adequately,” noted the survey.

Instagram stands out as the most utilized social media platform among youngsters, surpassing TikTok and WhatsApp in terms of time spent. Nonetheless, teens engage with various platforms for distinct purposes.

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are mainly employed for browsing and social interaction, whereas Telegram and WhatsApp are preferred for educational uses, as schools utilize them for class-related communication. Discord serves as a medium for gamers to connect and strategize during multiplayer games.

Social media occupies a pivotal role in the daily routines of teens, with nearly half dedicating three or more hours to it each day.

Consequently, gaming-related scams are escalating, targeting youths through platforms such as Instagram and Discord. Scammers frequently pose as knowledgeable players or present exclusive in-game offers to gain teens’ trust before disappearing with their funds.

The SERI report underscores the significance of financial literacy education to aid teens in recognizing secure payment methods and steering clear of these schemes.

“Fraudsters often masquerade as helpful strangers or skilled players proposing to purchase in-game currency in exchange for upfront payments. By employing fake profiles and tactics like impersonating high-ranking gamers or promoting exclusive deals, they build trust or instigate urgency before fleeing with the capital.

“Tackling this challenge necessitates coordinated action from parents, educators, and law enforcement agencies. In addition to fostering digital literacy, policies should prioritize financial education for teenagers, equipping them to identify secure payment methods, including the hazards of transferring money without protections,” it stated.

Moreover, when it comes to monitoring these occurrences, parents are crucial in guiding their children’s online activities, establishing limits, and promoting open discussions regarding internet safety.

Teachers and educational institutions also play a crucial role in providing students with the digital literacy competencies required for safe and responsible online interactions.

Yohendran Nadar Arulthevan, research consultant at SERI and contributor to the white paper, pointed out several urgent issues confronting teens in the digital era.

“Our study indicates that while social media offers numerous advantages for teenagers, concerns regarding online harms, particularly cyberbullying and scams, are escalating. There is also a clear necessity for more thorough, age-appropriate digital literacy instruction. We aspire that this white paper will assist all relevant parties in making informed decisions that prioritize the safety and well-being of young individuals online,” he stated.

Approximately 89 percent of teenagers indicated their parents oversaw their social media usage, eight percent were uncertain, and three percent reported their parents did not oversee them. Nevertheless, the survey revealed that a considerable proportion of parents do not establish specific guidelines or limitations on their children’s social media activities.

About 56 percent of parents claimed to have no rules or restrictions, while 36 percent stated they enforced rules “occasionally,” and 18 percent said they consistently applied restrictions.

The most prevalent methods of parental control included:

• Limiting screen time (61 percent)
• Adjusting privacy settings (17 percent)
• Reviewing friends or followers (14 percent)
• Supervising accounts (nine percent)

When asked about their satisfaction with these restrictions, teenagers answered as follows:

• Strongly agree (36 percent)
• Neutral (36 percent)
• Somewhat agree (20 percent)
• Somewhat disagree (four percent)
• Strongly disagree (four percent)

The survey collected responses from 185 teenagers aged 13 to 17 who were actively engaging with social media. A mixed-methods approach was utilized, combining quantitative data from surveys with qualitative insights from interviews, focus group discussions, and case studies. Of the respondents, 64 percent were female.

Seventeen-year-olds comprised the largest segment, accounting for 28 percent of the sample, followed by 16-year-olds (21 percent), and 15-, 14-, and 13-year-olds (17 percent each). Regarding household income, 58 percent of participants hailed from middle-income families, 20 percent from lower-middle-income households, nine percent from upper-middle- and low-income families, and four percent from high-income households.