WITH the rise of numerous donations and charity programs extending help during this time of Covid-19 pandemic, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has warned the public of fake charities and beneficiaries.
The BSP said the public should remain vigilant and discerning over the donation drives they are interested in supporting.
“Cybercriminals are on the move to make false charities and beneficiaries to deceive those who are interested to donate,” the central bank said.
The BSP said the cybercriminals may try to ask for personal information from the banking public, such as internet and mobile banking username or passwords, and spread malicious links to phishing websites or malicious attachments on malware.
The central bank said hackers are also spreading false advertisements creating public anxiety and an artificial need to require personal protective equipment (PPE) meant for frontliners.
“These scams may include the sale of face masks, alcohol, PPE, testing kits, health insurance and others,” the BSP said in its advisory.
Another modus operandi are fake health advisories containing phishing text or emails on news updates, bulletin or health tips regarding Covid-19.
“Most of the information were allegedly from the government or health authorities,” the BSP said.
Because of this, the central bank encouraged the scrutiny of any donation drives before sending money. This is for the public to avoid sending their hard-earned money to hackers.
The Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP) earlier said banks will never request for any personal information, account number or any one-time passwords.
One should also protect their passwords either by changing it regularly, or creating strong passwords to deter potential hackers from compromising their account. The public should also avoid using a shared network or a shared computer since these may be traced back or attract nearby hackers, and ensure that their internet is secured.
As an added layer of protection, banks have incorporated two-factor authentication among other safety measures on all bank account-related transactions online, the BAP said.