The government plans to introduce a special online business licence to protect consumers from falling victims to scammers or online fraud.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) minister Rosol Wahid said the special licence would come into effect after amendments are made to the Customer Protection (Electronic Commerce Transaction) Regulations 2012 under the Consumer Protection Act 1999.

"This special online business licence is one of the effective measures to combat scammers and we will try to enforce this licence immediately," Bernama quoted Rosol telling reporters after attending a function in Putrajaya yesterday.

The licensing, when implemented, will subject sellers to conditions while consumers will be able to make online purchases without worrying about the reputation and reputation of the traders.

Millions of ringgit in losses are incurred via online frauds and scams every year.

According to Rosol, the number of complaints against online transactions increased compared to the year before.

A lot of fraudulent online transactions can be avoided if the buyers check the seller's bank account number before making money transfer, he said.

This can be done via the police's Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) website and application known as Semak Mule CCI, he added.

Meanwhile, the National Consumer Action Council (MTPN) is also in the midst of developing a mobile application called Idenfid, which once online, will enable users to identify and report fraudulent accounts, the minister noted.

So what do you think? Will this special license trouble online sellers who are trying to earn side income, or is it a smart move that will help cut down scam statistics?


Source: Bernama

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