Govt mulls mandatory phone number verification for WhatsApp accounts

The government is considering requiring WhatsApp to verify the phone numbers linked to its accounts as part of efforts to curb scam calls and the impersonation of government officials.

Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said the ministry was studying the feasibility of introducing such a requirement as WhatsApp did not currently require phone number verification for its accounts.

He said the issue had also been raised by several countries at a recent International Telecommunication Union (ITU) meeting, where concerns were expressed over the platform being exploited for scam calls.

Fahmi said the government was considering additional measures to tackle scams after fraudsters adapted their methods following technical changes introduced by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to curb caller ID spoofing.

He said the measures had successfully restricted spoofed calls, but scammers had since turned to other methods.

“At the network level, several matters are being studied,” he told reporters after attending the launch of a pilot project for a senior citizen safety system.

Fahmi was responding to questions about the government’s action following the arrest of 61 suspects accused of impersonating MCMC officers in scams.

He said anyone found to have broken the law would be brought to court.