Cybercrime Center warns public against online scams
>> Friday, November 10, 2023
THE Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) on Wednesday warned the public against various online scams.
CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Alexander Ramos said that cybercriminals usually take advantage of public holidays.
CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Alexander Ramos said that cybercriminals usually take advantage of public holidays.
“We want the public to be more vigilant against various online scam activities, especially when we are out of our homes,” Ramos said.
The agency said connecting to an open and unsecured Wi-Fi network can put any device at risk, as hackers can use data to control the devices and steal identities and even money.
The CICC advised the public to avoid using public Wi-Fi and use mobile networks instead.
“People enjoy accessing these open Wi-Fi because they are free without realizing that their open and unsecured nature also makes them vulnerable to attackers,” Ramos said.
“An attacker will intercept the communication flow between your handsets and browser and steal information, and potentially allowing your device to be hijacked,” he said.
Fake e-wallet apps are also widespread.
“Scammers can access your real e-wallet credentials if you download and install a fake e-wallet app. The public must download e-wallet from legitimate app stores,” Ramos said.
The public should also be vigilant against fake customer channels that target personal information.
“Always check the source of the channel if it’s legitimate or not,” he said.
Tech support scams
Another form of online scam is fake tech support.
“Ignore calls from numbers you don’t know. The scammers will claim that there is a problem with your account and that they need your personal information to fix the problem. However, the scammers will simply steal your personal information and money,” Ramos said.
Ramos also said the public should expect more phishing scam emails and text messages, which can contain links to fake websites. Clicking the link can compromise banking, e-wallet and e-commerce accounts.
“Never click links from unknown emails or text messages because these are phishing scams that can lead to account takeover by stealing personal information, account name and passwords. Worse, many may also include malware,” he added.
With Christmas approaching, Filipinos were also warned to watch out for fake online shopping stores on e-commerce sites and social media with fake products.
“If the product is too cheap, then it must be fake, or worse, it does not exist. Always check the legitimacy of the seller and never transact outside the e-commerce site,” Ramos said.
He also warned against deceptive emails and text messages about intercepted package delivery to make people into giving personal details, money, and data by tricking them into clicking a link or attachment with malware.
“Always verify the sender or email address. Make sure that you don’t schedule a delivery when you are not home. Never entertain messages or calls from unknown senders,” he said.
Ramos said online scams can be reported to the Inter-Agency Response Center (I-ARC) Hotline 1326.
The agency said connecting to an open and unsecured Wi-Fi network can put any device at risk, as hackers can use data to control the devices and steal identities and even money.
The CICC advised the public to avoid using public Wi-Fi and use mobile networks instead.
“People enjoy accessing these open Wi-Fi because they are free without realizing that their open and unsecured nature also makes them vulnerable to attackers,” Ramos said.
“An attacker will intercept the communication flow between your handsets and browser and steal information, and potentially allowing your device to be hijacked,” he said.
Fake e-wallet apps are also widespread.
“Scammers can access your real e-wallet credentials if you download and install a fake e-wallet app. The public must download e-wallet from legitimate app stores,” Ramos said.
The public should also be vigilant against fake customer channels that target personal information.
“Always check the source of the channel if it’s legitimate or not,” he said.
Tech support scams
Another form of online scam is fake tech support.
“Ignore calls from numbers you don’t know. The scammers will claim that there is a problem with your account and that they need your personal information to fix the problem. However, the scammers will simply steal your personal information and money,” Ramos said.
Ramos also said the public should expect more phishing scam emails and text messages, which can contain links to fake websites. Clicking the link can compromise banking, e-wallet and e-commerce accounts.
“Never click links from unknown emails or text messages because these are phishing scams that can lead to account takeover by stealing personal information, account name and passwords. Worse, many may also include malware,” he added.
With Christmas approaching, Filipinos were also warned to watch out for fake online shopping stores on e-commerce sites and social media with fake products.
“If the product is too cheap, then it must be fake, or worse, it does not exist. Always check the legitimacy of the seller and never transact outside the e-commerce site,” Ramos said.
He also warned against deceptive emails and text messages about intercepted package delivery to make people into giving personal details, money, and data by tricking them into clicking a link or attachment with malware.
“Always verify the sender or email address. Make sure that you don’t schedule a delivery when you are not home. Never entertain messages or calls from unknown senders,” he said.
Ramos said online scams can be reported to the Inter-Agency Response Center (I-ARC) Hotline 1326.
0 comments:
Post a Comment