KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 — Malaysia recorded the highest rate of personal data leaks among key Asian markets in 2024, exposing tens of millions to financial fraud and identity theft, according to the latest Whoscall Annual Report.The report found that 72.5per cent of Malaysians who checked their data through Whoscall’s ID Security feature discovered their personal information had been compromised.

“While phone numbers were the most leaked data across all countries (98 per cent in Malaysia) among users, Malaysia stands out for its high rate of name leaks (89 per cent), followed by addresses and emails.

“This makes impersonation scams more convincing, as scammers exploit leaked names to pose as banks, government agencies or delivery services,” said Voon Chang Liew, business development director of Gogolook in Malaysia.

Compared to Malaysia, other Asian countries saw lower but still concerning data exposure rates, with email addresses being the second most leaked data type in Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines.

The report highlighted that leaked information fuels a surge in scams, with fraudsters using stolen details to pose as banks, government agencies, and delivery services.

Authorities warn that personal data breaches are a key driver of scam-related financial losses, which reached RM1.57 billion in Malaysia last year.

Malaysia