THE Davao City Police Office-Davao City Police Cyber Response Team (DCPO-DCPCRT) monitored an increasing number of scammers during the start of the ‘ber’ months.
DCPO-DCPCRT Team Leader PMaj. Julius Santillana said in a radio interview on Friday morning, November 17, that most of the scammers are looking for their potential targets on Facebook or other social media platforms.
“Ang modus nila kay naga-send sila ug email or post or link sa social media para kung kinsa ‘tong mo-pindot ato mao kasagaran ma-hack ang account (Their modus is to send email or post or link on social media and those who will click will become their victim and would have their accounts hacked),” Santillana said.
He added that these scammers mostly post on social media pretending to be legit accounts with viral photos but once users click the scammers’ posts, Facebook users’ accounts and passwords are automatically extracted by the scammers.
He expressed that the scammers’ posts would usually pique the users’ interest and would provide incomplete information so they would be forced to click on the link due to the lack of information. Oftentimes, these links to which the users are redirected are avenues for the scammers to take full control of one’s social media accounts.
The team advised that once the user's account is hacked, the first thing that they should look into is their chat messages because scammers would pretend to be the original user and then ask for money from their social media friends. They would also promise that they would return the amount in the afternoon or by tomorrow.
The DCPO-DCPCRT also reminds those who receive sketchy messages asking for money to call the senders first and verify whether they really need the money to avoid sending money to scammers masquerading as the owner of a particular account.
The team also highlighted how most of the people's social media accounts in their mobile phones, computers, and laptops are logged in all the time hence, Santillana recommended that accounts should be logged out when not in use. This is to avoid automatic log-in from storing your password and username in the phone or desktop which is an easy target for the scammers.
For those who are planning to shop online this holiday season, the DCPO-DCPCRT suggests to always opt for the Cash on Delivery (COD) and to always check the item before paying to avoid being scammed.
The Dcpo-Dcprt advises people to be wary of people offering credit card applications inside malls or in areas outside the bank since they are selling the information that is listed in the duly accomplished forms of their applicants. They urge people to only apply for credit cards in banks.
Santillana then reminded Dabawenyos to be careful in their online transactions and to verify the person they are sending the money to ensure that their personal information is safe. RGP