What Can People Do With My IC Number

With your Identity Card (IC) number, people can potentially:

1. Impersonate you: They might use your IC number to create fake IDs, pose as you, or conduct fraudulent activities, such as opening bank accounts, applying for loans, or making financial transactions in your name.
2. Access your personal information: Your IC number could be a key identifier that can be used to access your personal and sensitive information stored in various databases, such as healthcare, insurance, or government records.
3. Commit identity theft: Criminals could use your IC number to steal your identity and conduct various illegal activities, such as filing false tax returns, fraudulently applying for government benefits, or using your name for criminal activities.
4. Perform social engineering attacks: With your IC number, someone could gather more information about you and use it to perform social engineering attacks, such as phishing or scams, to trick you or others into revealing more sensitive information or taking actions that benefit the attacker.
5. Affect your credit score: If someone uses your IC number to obtain loans or credit cards and defaults on payments, it could negatively impact your credit score and make it difficult for you to obtain credit in the future.

To protect yourself, it is important to safeguard your IC number and be cautious about sharing it with others.

Regularly monitor your credit reports and financial accounts for signs of suspicious activity, and report any incidents of identity theft to the relevant authorities.

What if my scammer has my IC number?

If a scammer has your IC number (Identity Card Number) or any other personal information, you should take immediate steps to protect yourself:

1. Monitor your bank accounts and credit reports: Regularly check your bank statements and credit reports for any suspicious activities or unauthorized transactions.
2. Report the scam: Contact your local police department and file a report. You should also report the scam to MCMC.
3. Place a fraud alert on your credit reports: Contact the major credit reporting bureaus and request a fraud alert on your credit report. This will make it difficult for the scammer to open new accounts in your name.
4. Change your passwords: Update all your online account passwords, particularly for your bank accounts, email accounts, and any other accounts containing sensitive personal information.
5. Be cautious with future communication: Be wary of any phone calls, emails, or messages from unknown sources, and never share your personal information with anyone you do not know or trust.
6. Educate yourself about scams and fraud: Learn about common scams and how to protect yourself from them. This will help you recognise and avoid potential scams in the future.

Is IC number confidential in Malaysia?

Yes, an IC (Identity Card) number is considered confidential in Malaysia.

It is a unique identifier for Malaysian citizens and contains sensitive personal information.

Disclosing or sharing someone’s IC number without their consent can potentially lead to privacy breaches and identity theft.

Individuals should be cautious when sharing their own IC numbers and respect the confidentiality of others’ IC numbers.

Is it safe to send a picture of your IC?

It is generally not safe to send a picture of your Identity Card (IC) to anyone, especially through email or messaging platforms.

This is because sharing your IC can lead to identity theft, fraud, or other malicious activities.

If you must provide your IC information for legitimate purposes, make sure to do it through secure and verified channels, and only share it with trusted individuals or organisations.