BDO warns vs. account verification scam

BDO Unibank Inc. on Thursday warned its clients against a scheme urging bank account holders to verify their accounts by clicking on a link.

“BDO Unibank reiterates that it will never ask their clients to verify their bank accounts,” it said in an advisory.

“Legitimate bank officers will never reach out via SMS, call, email, or social media to ask for personal information for account validation,” the bank said.

The account verification scam leads clients to click on a website that “looks exactly like a bank’s official website.”

On the fake website, scammers trick clients into divulging their personal information such as account numbers, credit card information, online banking login details like usernames and passwords, and One-Time PINs (OTP).

“It enables scammers to use clients’ identities, access their online bank accounts, and steal their money,” it said.

BDO said scammers are taking advantage of the lockdown situation and the added online banking usage.

“Upping their ante, their attacks now are more sophisticated than ever—their grammar is correct; their communication style is convincingly professional; their fake websites look exactly like their legitimate counterparts,” it said.

“As a result, many, especially first-time users of online banking, are getting victimized and losing their money,” it added.

Clients who have been scammed or suspect of being scammed were urged to get in touch with BDO by emailing customercare@bdo.com.ph.

“They can also log in Messenger, look for BDO Customer Care with the blue verified checkmark from Facebook, and chat with a bank representative,” the bank said.—AOL, GMA News