People not only need to be alert of suspicious calls in dealing with scams but must prevent scammers from “hacking” their minds to ensure that they do not become a victim of the crime.

Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chief regulatory officer Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin said cognitive hacking occurs when victims are unable to rationalise and act according to their emotions, thus opening up opportunities for scammers to strike...