Gaming scams on the rise: Study finds teens at risk on Discord and Instagram

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 — Malaysian teenagers face increasing risks in the digital world, where scams, impersonations, hacking, and online gambling are becoming commonplace.

According to the Social & Economic Research Initiative (SERI) critical white paper on teen social media usage in Malaysia, over half of the country’s teenagers have encountered scams on social media with fake offers and phishing schemes leading the pack.

The study, titled “Teens, Tech and Trust: Navigating Social Media in Malaysia,” found that 56 per cent of teenagers said they could spot a scam and avoid falling victim to it, 33 per cent reported never encountering one, while another 11 per cent admitted to encountering and falling victim to scams.

Around 39 per cent of the children interviewed for this survey said they were confident in spotting a scam, 31 per cent said they were somewhat confident, 14 per cent were very confident, 11 per cent were somewhat unconfident, and five per cent were not confident at all.

“This vulnerability is further illustrated by a real-life example from one of our interviews. The interviewee described an incident involving a friend who trusted a stranger on Twitter with a transaction for a game top-up.

“The perpetrator convinced the friend to download an app requesting access to his photos. Once access was granted, the perpetrator gained entry to the victim’s photo album, created explicit AI-generated videos, and threatened to release them unless a ransom was paid.

“Although the friend contacted the police, he felt they were unable to offer any meaningful assistance. The incident concluded without further action, but it underscores how easily teens can be manipulated online and highlights the serious consequences of failing to address such threats comprehensively,” the survey noted.

Instagram is the most popular social media platform among teens, surpassing TikTok and WhatsApp in time spent. However, teens use different platforms for specific purposes.

Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook are primarily used for browsing and social messaging, while Telegram and WhatsApp are favoured for learning, as schools use them for class-related communication. Discord serves as a platform for gamers to communicate and strategise during multiplayer games.

Malaysian teenagers face increasing risks in the digital world, where scams, impersonations, hacking, and online gambling are becoming commonplace.

Social media plays a central role in teens’ daily lives, with nearly half spending three or more hours on it each day.

As such gaming-related scams are on the rise, targeting teens through platforms like Instagram and Discord. Scammers often pose as experienced players or offer exclusive in-game deals to earn teenagers’ trust before absconding with their money.

The SERI report emphasises the importance of financial literacy education to help teens recognise secure payment methods and avoid falling prey to these schemes.

“Scammers frequently pose as helpful strangers or experienced players offering to purchase in-game currency in exchange or upfront payments. Using fake profiles and tactics such as impersonating high-level gamers or advertising exclusive deals, they build trust or create urgency before absconding with the funds.

“Addressing this issue requires coordinated efforts from parents, educators, and enforcement agencies. Beyond promoting digital literacy, policies should prioritise financial education for teenagers, equipping them to recognise secure payment methods, including the risks of transferring money without safeguards,” it said.

In addition, when it comes to monitoring these incidents, parents are vital in guiding their children’s online behaviour, setting boundaries, and encouraging open dialogue about internet safety.

Teens are targeted on Discord and Instagram. — AFP pic

Teachers and schools, in turn, play a critical role in equipping students with the digital literacy skills needed to interact with online spaces safely and responsibly.

Yohendran Nadar Arulthevan, research consultant at SERI and author of the white paper, highlighted several pressing issues faced by teens in the digital age.

“Our research shows that while social media provides many benefits for teens, concerns around online harms, particularly cyberbullying and scams, are growing. There is also a clear need for more comprehensive, age-appropriate digital literacy education. We hope this white paper will help guide all relevant stakeholders to make informed decisions that prioritise young people’s safety and well-being online,” he said.

Around 89 per cent of teenagers said their parents monitored their social media use, eight per cent were unsure, and three per cent said their parents did not monitor them. However, the survey found that a significant portion of parents do not set specific rules or limitations on their children’s social media activity.

About 56 per cent of parents reported having no rules or restrictions, while 36 per cent said they imposed rules “sometimes” and 18 per cent said they consistently enforced restrictions.

The most common methods of parental restriction were:

• Limiting screen time (61 per cent)

• Setting privacy settings (17 per cent)

• Checking friends or followers (14 per cent)

• Monitoring accounts (nine per cent)

When asked if they were satisfied with these restrictions, teenagers responded as follows:

• Strongly agree (36 per cent)

• Neutral (36 per cent)

• Somewhat agree (20 per cent)

• Somewhat disagree (four per cent)

• Strongly disagree (four per cent)

The survey gathered responses from 185 teenagers aged 13 to 17 who were actively engaged with social media. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining quantitative data from surveys with qualitative insights from interviews, focus group discussions, and case studies. Among the respondents, 64 per cent were female.

Seventeen-year-olds made up the largest group, accounting for 28 per cent of the sample, followed by 16-year-olds (21 per cent), and 15-, 14-, and 13-year-olds (17 per cent each). In terms of household income, 58 per cent of respondents came from middle-income families, 20 per cent from lower-middle-income families, nine per cent from upper-middle- and low-income households, and four per cent from high-income households.