KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 6 -- Barely 4 per cent of Malaysians feel their smartphones are genuinely secure against hackers and scammers, according to a survey by digital wealth platform Versa, published just days before the annual 11.11 shopping blitz.

The survey of 1,022 local users revealed that 78 per cent had crossed paths with a scam over the preceding two years, either falling victim themselves or seeing family and acquaintances targeted.

Among the 798 respondents who encountered these rackets, nearly three in four pointed to their mobile phones as the primary point of contact. Direct phone calls and SMS messages proved the most persistent channels, cited by 80 per cent of affected respondents, while messaging apps trailed closely behind...