The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has announced that it has officially banned the use of URLs in SMS with no exceptions. If you recall, the ban actually went into effect last year, but it was only applicable for regular numbers while business short codes were exempted.
Furthermore, the new ban also sees the prohibition of asking for personal details through SMS, as well as callback phone numbers. The regulatory body stated that this move was made in order to protect users from the risk of scams and frauds through SMS, which is often exploited by bad actors who pretend to be public authorities or private companies.
The exemption took effect on 1 September 2024 and according to CelcomDigi’s FAQ, SMS messages containing URL links will not be received by recipients even if the message was successfully sent. Additionally, there is no option for users to chooses to unblock messages that have been blocked.
Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Comm Ramli Mohamed Yoosuf revealed earlier this year that cases have been on the rise, with 18 cases recorded as of April with loses estimated at just under RM230,000. If you are still receiving messages that contain URL links following this ban, you may report it to MCMC.
(Source: MCMC)
