What is a Cash Reward Scam?

A cash reward scam is a trick where scammers promise fake prizes or cash rewards to steal your personal or banking information.

How to spot a Cash Reward Scam? (Common Warning Signs)

  1. You receive a message saying you’ve won a cash reward, cashback, or prize.
  2. The message claims to be from a well-known company or bank.
  3. It sounds too good to be true as it offers big money with no effort.
  4. You’re asked to click a link or contact a number to claim the reward. The link leads to a fake website that steals your banking login details.

How to prevent Cash Reward Scams?

  1. Never share your IC number, banking PIN, username, or password through calls or messages.
  2. Don’t click on suspicious links or contact unknown numbers from messages.
  3. Always check with the company or bank directly to confirm any reward offer.

Example of Cash Reward Scam Scenario:

Khairul received a WhatsApp message claiming he had won RM5,000 cashback from a popular e-wallet service. The message included a link and told him to log in to claim the reward. Khairul clicked the link, which led to a website that looked real. He entered his e-wallet username and password. A few hours later, he noticed that all the money in his account was gone.

What Went Wrong:

  1. Khairul trusted a message from an unknown number.
  2. He clicked on a suspicious link.
  3. He entered his login details on a fake website.

Lesson Learned:

  • Always be careful with messages offering cash prizes.
  • Don’t click on unknown links or share your banking info.
  • Real companies won’t ask you to claim rewards this way.
  • Always verify with the official website or customer service.