After completing secondary school, A. Angelin got herself a temporary job. She was just 17, and earning her first pay cheque was a proud achievement.
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She saved every Malaysian sen she earned – but her pride turned to heartbreak when she answered a phone call from her “network provider”.
In one swoop, her entire 1,600 ringgit (US$378) salary was gone.
The caller told the teenager there were issues with her phone billing account and her line would be terminated if she did not follow his instructions.
“He spoke confidently and was convincing enough. I was fooled and started to panic. He provided me with a link and told me to log into my bank account. Then I received an SMS and was asked to reveal a set of numbers.
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“I did not know it was the one-time password as I was not familiar with how online banking worked. Then, I received emails from the bank.