December 4, 2025
Petaling Jaya – Silence is golden. This is exactly what you should do to avoid falling victim to the latest AI-generated silent call scam, says the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
A recent video released by Friends of MCMC warns about the latest techniques used by scammers, with several Malaysians coming forward to share their personal experiences.
Shaun Ang, 34, a data analyst based in Kuala Lumpur, said he has recently become suspicious of calls from unknown numbers.
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“The phone rang, but no one was talking on the other end.
“Fortunately, I was aware of the latest scams and had read about how scammers are using AI to scam people in Thailand.
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“When I receive such calls from unknown numbers, I remain silent and hang up if there is no one on the other end,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Sabahan Francis Magaung, 43, who currently works in Petaling Jaya, said he received calls from unknown local and overseas mobile numbers.
“I am a skeptical person by nature and have been wary of unknown phone calls even before MCMC’s recent warning.
“When I get a call like that, I sit back and wait to see if it’s answered before I hang up,” he says.
McGown worries that older adults may fall prey to such scams because they are unaware of evolving online threats, especially those using AI technology.
Silent calls are a tactic used by scammers to phish their victims. It begins by calling the target, but the caller intentionally silences the line when the call is answered.
Once a person responds, they are considered to have a valid number and are added to a target list for fraudulent messages and calls impersonating their bank or other authorities.
When the target responds, their voice is recorded and later cloned by an AI for impersonation purposes.
MCMC recently posted a two-minute video on social media warning Malaysians that AI technology is being used to collect sound metadata for cloning voices.
AI-replicated voices can be used to trick target families into seeking help in emergencies, ask company staff to send money, and bypass voice authentication used by certain commercial institutions.
Mohamed Hussein Rasool Mohd became even more wary after reading warnings about such techniques posted on the Penang Community Facebook page.
In a post on the same Facebook page, Kaizen Sun said those who answered the silent call typically receive a follow-up call within the same day, which then takes several days.
“All types of numbers: local, mobile, international.
“I also got a WhatsApp text message telling me he was out of touch for a long time in the wine trade (and makes me wonder how long ago I was in the alcohol business),” the post reads.
