Alert Issued by Brunei's Largest Financial Institution Regarding Online Scams
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Bandar Seri Begawan, Dec 14 (NationPress) The Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD), the most prominent bank in the sultanate of Brunei, has called upon the public to exercise caution against online scams, according to local media sources.
As per the reports from the Borneo Bulletin, there have been recent incidents where individuals find themselves redirected to a fraudulent website impersonating the official platform of the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) from the Malaysian Immigration Department.
The BIBD has issued a warning that these deceptive websites may seem authentic at first glance, closely resembling the design and layout of real government sites, and are aimed at stealing sensitive personal information, including login credentials, passport numbers, and even soliciting payments, as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
Brunei, a Southeast Asian nation located on Borneo Island, boasts a high standard of living and social welfare.
Earlier this week, local law enforcement apprehended 12 individuals suspected of serving as account mules for a cybercrime syndicate.
The individuals, aged between 23 and 53, are accused of leasing bank accounts and registering SIM cards for unidentified parties in exchange for commission payments, local media disclosed on Tuesday.
The rented SIM cards were allegedly employed for fraudulent activities, while the bank accounts were used to funnel money from these scams before transferring the funds to third parties, as stated by the Royal Brunei Police Force.
In June, the Cyber Security Brunei (CSB) successfully suspended or eliminated 1,023 phishing websites.
The CSB functions as the overseeing body that monitors and coordinates national initiatives in combating cybersecurity threats and cybercrime, which includes the Brunei Computer Emergency Response Team, Cyber Watch Centre, and the National Digital Forensics Laboratory, a vital facility that provides law enforcement and investigative agencies with access to advanced digital forensics technology.
