Scam posts impersonate Malaysian govt cash scheme

"LATEST: CASH AID APPLICATION," reads Malay-language text in a screenshot shared in a TikTok post viewed more than 1,800 times since February 11, 2024.

"STR 2024. NOW OPEN FOR MALAYSIANS," it adds, referring to Malaysia's Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) cash handout initiative.

The government scheme, the name of which translates as "Compassionate Cash Aid", gives eligible citizens up to 3,700 Malaysian ringgit ($770) to help with rising living costs (archived link).

The screenshot shows a photo of Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim alongside the coat of arms and logo for "Malaysia Madani" (Civil Malaysia) --  his slogan and policy framework. 

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Screenshot of the false post, taken on February 26, 2024

Similar false posts circulated on TikTok here and here, where they racked up more than 18,000 views; as well as on Facebook.

The posts invited social media users to check the status of their STR application by clicking a link -- either on the post or in the account's bio -- which led to a website that requested personal details.

The imposter Facebook account began promoting the scam in January 2024; while the TikTok accounts began posting the following month, attracting more than 42,000 followers.

Imposter pages

Malaysia's finance ministry wrote on its official Facebook page that the posts were "fake news", highlighting two TikTok accounts sharing the scam here and here (archived link).

"Visit the official portal and follow the official social media channels of the Ministry of Finance for the latest accurate information," it wrote in the post on February 18, 2024.

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Screenshot of the Malaysian finance ministry's statement on Facebook, taken on February 27, 2024

The fake social media posts shared a link to a website that was not affiliated with the Malaysian government.

Below is a screenshot comparison of the imposter website (left) and the STR scheme's official website (right):

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Screenshot comparison of the imposter website (left) and the STR scheme's official website (right)

Anwar announced in October 2023 that nine million Malaysians would benefit from the cash handout in the 2024 fiscal year (archived link).

The government began doling out payments on January 29, 2024, according to the finance ministry (archived link).

"If an applicant's name is not available on STR's database, he or she must apply in order to complete a verification process based on the eligible STR category," it said.

"The public is also advised to be wary of unverified links from irresponsible parties when looking for information on the STR programme."

The ministry shared official links for Malaysians to check their eligibility for the handout here and here (archived links here and here).

AFP has previously debunked cash scams in Malaysia here, here and here.