AS the clock ticks down to New Year’s Eve, many are left wondering where did the time go. Not only that, as it is the tail-end of vacation season, many are most likely wondering where all their money went while the holiday expenses pile-up. Some might have seen an advert that has been floating on social media promising a RM1,000 special cash aid from the Finance Ministry, all they have to do to claim it is to click on a link.
Is it true that the Finance Ministry is really offering a round of special cash aid before the New Year?
Verdict:
FALSE
The Finance Ministry has come out on all of its social media platforms to insist that the special financial assistance of RM1,000 offered in that ad on social media is FAKE.
The ad is a simple banner in Malay stating that the Ministry will be paying out RM1,000 starting on Dec 28 to all respondents. Also provided is a dubious link for victims to click on to provide their details.
The adverts are an example of a phishing scam where the scammers promise cash in order to obtain the victim’s personal details.
The scammers could also try to infect the device the victim used to access the link with a virus or other malicious software.
With that in mind, the Ministry warned the public to be careful and not fall for any fake ads, and definitely not click on any suspicious links.
It also urged the public to visit its official portal and social media channels for the latest and most accurate information.
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