{
  "id": 13140090,
  "title": "AI scam-check tool must be fast and simple, says expert",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/ai-scam-check-tool-must-be-fast-and-simple-says-expert-13140090",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-09T14:35:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/10/09/ai-scam-check-tool-must-be-fast-and-simple-says-expert"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Crime prevention expert Shamir Rajadurai insists the government's AI-powered scam-checking app must be rapid, free, uncomplicated, and perpetually updated with live reports to aid the elderly and less digitally competent citizens. According to Rajadurai, scammers exploit haste and pressure, capitalising on victims' hesitation to think critically. \"Scammers thrive when victims lack a swift means to authenticate dubious messages or requests,\" he explains.\n\nThe AI tool, which cross-references numbers, accounts, or links to documented incidents and established patterns, provides a second opinion in mere seconds at the precise moment of decision. This empowers the elderly and less digitally savvy, counteracting the scammers' advantage. However, Rajadurai highlights the tool's efficacy hinges on its data and usability. It must be swift, devoid of cost, user-friendly, and constantly refreshed with real-time reports, given scammers' ceaseless adaptation of tactics.\n\nThe proposed app, announced in the 2027 budget, will be developed by the National Scam Response Centre, enabling the public to scrutinise suspicious phone numbers, bank accounts, and links prior to any transactions. Rajadurai perceives the app as a proactive measure to thwart crimes before they occur. He recommends banks complement the app by incorporating verification alerts directly into their mobile applications, ensuring warnings surface at the point of payment.\n\nFurthermore, Rajadurai advocates for publishing case outcomes and success rates to bolster public confidence in the AI safeguard. Ultimately, he emphasises the critical role of officers in the system, as even the most advanced technology is only as effective as the personnel deploying it. \"An AI alert or a flagged network is meaningless if the on-ground officer cannot discern signals, formulate a case, or support the victim,\" he concludes.",
  "summary": "A crime prevention specialist says most elderly and less tech-savvy banking customers fall for scams because they have no quick way to verify them.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "AI scam-check tool must be fast and simple, says expert",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/ai-scam-check-tool-must-be-fast-and-simple-says-expert",
        "published": "2026-10-09T14:35:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}