Public warned vs online scams
Published Apr 18, 2020 12:00 am
By Argyll Geducos
As the public relies more on online transactions while being forced to stay inside their homes due to quarantine restrictions, the Inter-agency Task Force (IATF) for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases advised Filipinos to be more cautious in handling their bank accounts.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles
(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Cabinet Secretary and IATF spokesman Karlo Nograles issued the statement after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) noted a rise in phishing incidents and online donation scams during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period. Phishing is a scam where targets are contacted through email or text messages by someone posing as a member of a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive banking data, passwords, and personally identifiable information. In his virtual press briefing, Nograles warned the public about the dangers of online transactions even though the Internet has been very helpful during the ECQ since it enables the public to hold online meetings, work from home, buy food online, and even pay their bills. "While this has helped many of us cope with the limitations brought about by the ECQ, the National Bureau of Investigation cybercrime division and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas have reported a 100-percent increase in phishing cases and are warning everyone to be cautious when it comes to your bank details," he said. Nograles told the public to not give anyone their passwords as no bank would ever require them to do so before a transaction. "'Huwag niyo pong ibigay; hindi po hihingin ng banko niyo 'yan - kahit kelan man, kahit sa ano mang pagkakataon (Do not give your passwords. Your banks will never ask that)," he said. The Palace official likewise asked the public to be careful online donation drives for those affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. "We encourage everyone to double-check and verify these requests for donations," Nograles said. "Mas mainam po na magbigay sa mga personal na kakilala natin o personal na inendorso ng malalapit sa atin (It's better to give your donations to people you personally know or institutions personally endorsed by our family or friends)," he added. "Kung may mga reklamo po kayo hinggil dito, pwede nyo pong i-report ito sa NBI website (You can forward your complaints to the NBI through its website," he continued.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Cabinet Secretary and IATF spokesman Karlo Nograles issued the statement after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) noted a rise in phishing incidents and online donation scams during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) period. Phishing is a scam where targets are contacted through email or text messages by someone posing as a member of a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive banking data, passwords, and personally identifiable information. In his virtual press briefing, Nograles warned the public about the dangers of online transactions even though the Internet has been very helpful during the ECQ since it enables the public to hold online meetings, work from home, buy food online, and even pay their bills. "While this has helped many of us cope with the limitations brought about by the ECQ, the National Bureau of Investigation cybercrime division and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas have reported a 100-percent increase in phishing cases and are warning everyone to be cautious when it comes to your bank details," he said. Nograles told the public to not give anyone their passwords as no bank would ever require them to do so before a transaction. "'Huwag niyo pong ibigay; hindi po hihingin ng banko niyo 'yan - kahit kelan man, kahit sa ano mang pagkakataon (Do not give your passwords. Your banks will never ask that)," he said. The Palace official likewise asked the public to be careful online donation drives for those affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. "We encourage everyone to double-check and verify these requests for donations," Nograles said. "Mas mainam po na magbigay sa mga personal na kakilala natin o personal na inendorso ng malalapit sa atin (It's better to give your donations to people you personally know or institutions personally endorsed by our family or friends)," he added. "Kung may mga reklamo po kayo hinggil dito, pwede nyo pong i-report ito sa NBI website (You can forward your complaints to the NBI through its website," he continued.