Juniper
Syed Ahmad Taufik Albar Speech
Banks in Malaysia today honoured 68 outstanding bank employees for their exceptional vigilance and dedication in protecting customers from financial scams at the #JanganKenaScam Bank Heroes Recognition Event 2026. Collectively, these individuals helped prevent more than RM139 million in fraudulent transactions in 2025 through their efforts in identifying suspicious transactions, intervening in potential scam cases, and safeguarding customers from financial losses.
The Bank Heroes Recognition Event, now in its second consecutive year, is part of the JanganKenaScam campaign, a nationwide scam awareness initiative launched in 2023 by The Association of Banks in Malaysia (ABM) and The Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM). Organised in collaboration with the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), the event underscores the continued partnership between the banking industry and law enforcement in combating financial scams through coordinated prevention efforts, knowledge sharing, and public education.
Syed Ahmad Taufik Albar, Chairman of the National Taskforce to Combat Fraud and Group CEO of Community Financial Services, Maybank commends the dedication and vigilance of bank staff across the industry who continue to play a critical role in protecting customers against financial scams. “As personnel on the ground against financial crime, their swift actions and commitment have been instrumental in detecting suspicious activities and preventing fraudulent transactions before further losses can occur.”
“Their efforts, alongside the various security measures implemented by banks and financial institutions, contributed to a 46% increase in fraudulent transaction attempts successfully blocked in 2025 as compared to 2024. The total value of prevented fraudulent transactions also rose to RM1.19 billion, representing a three-fold increase year-on-year and reflecting the industry’s continued commitment to strengthening fraud prevention amid an increasingly sophisticated scam landscape,” he added.
Commissioner of Police, Dato’ Rusdi bin Mohd Isa, Director of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) said, “The Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) values the strong collaboration and continued support from the banking industry in combating commercial crimes and scams. Through close cooperation and information sharing, banks and law enforcement agencies have strengthened efforts to better protect the public against evolving scam threats.”
To date, banks and financial institutions have successfully achieved the following results through the introduction of key anti-scam initiatives and security enhancements, including:
● Money Vault / Money Lock feature: Utilised by more than 38,000 customers with over RM600 million secured in protected accounts.
● Malware shielding capability: Helped prevent over 60,000 malware-related scam attempts involving approximately RM22 million in potential losses.
● Kill Switch functions: Activated by around 300,000 users, contributing to the prevention of close to RM7 million in potential losses.
Online security self-service check facilities: An in-app feature that enables customers to independently perform account security health checks and take corrective actions based on best security practices. In addition, some banks have introduced self-service security tools that allow customers to monitor devices, sessions, and login activity to improve account safety and awareness. These system upgrades are complemented by ongoing cybersecurity education efforts, particularly for SMEs, to help them better recognise and defend against evolving phishing and scam risks.
Throughout the #JanganKenaScam campaign, the banking industry continues to conduct various awareness initiatives aimed at equipping Malaysians with the knowledge and tools needed to better protect themselves against scams. The campaign aims to raise fraud literacy and encourages customers to remain vigilant against financial scams.
A total of 68 bank staff from 14 banks were recognised today at the Bank Heroes Recognition Event. The banks featured include Agrobank, Alliance Bank, AmBank, Bank of China, Bank Islam, Bank Muamalat, Bank Simpanan Nasional, CIMB, HSBC, Maybank, OCBC, Public Bank, RHB and UOB.
