STA. BARBARA, Pangasinan – The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has warned the public anew to be cautious of the surge in text scams this holiday season.
Lawyer Ana Minelle Maningding, legal officer of NTC in Ilocos Region, explained that text scams typically fall under two categories: phishing and vishing.
“Phishing” is the practice of sending fraudulent messages to steal personal information, while “vishing” scams use phone calls to trick victims into sharing sensitive information.
“This holiday season, scammers often send messages about fake promos, raffle wins, or requests for personal information to manipulate people into giving money or private details,” said Maningding during the Pantongtongan Tayo (Pag-Usapan Natin) virtual presser of PIA Pangasinan.
Red flags and prevention tips
To avoid being scammed, Maningding identified the following red flags:
With links that redirect to fake websites
Calls requesting confidential information or payment
Sentences or content containing obvious grammatical errors
Create a sense of urgency to prompt immediate action
Maningding emphasized the importance of being cautious of sender numbers with 11 digits instead of those used by official organizations.
“Do not engage with them and block the number for your safety. Additionally, verify information directly from the institutions that scammers pretend to represent, avoid sharing personal information such as One Time Password (OTP) or copies of identification (ID) card, and always enable two-factor authentication for enhanced online security,” she advised.
Reporting scams
The NTC encourages the public to report malicious messages and calls through:
Online complaint page at https://ntc.gov.ph/
NTC hotline at 1882
Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) website at https://cicc.gov.ph/
“Victims should report the incident to their local police’s Cyber Crime Unit immediately for prompt action if scammers are successful in stealing information or money,” Maningding said.
Although there have been no reported cases of being scammed in the region, Maningding emphasized the importance of staying vigilant and not ignoring NTC’s reminders, such as text blasts received on phones.
Meanwhile, Maningding reiterated the importance of the B.I.R.D. strategy as a defense against scams:
Block suspicious numbers.
Ignore messages or calls from unknown sources.
Report incidents to authorities.
Delete malicious messages.
By following these steps, the public can better protect themselves over the holidays. (AMB/JCDR/PIA Pangasinan)
