Public warned vs online scams amid rising fuel, travel, product costs

The Philippine National Police - Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) on Tuesday advised the public to be vigilant against online scams as criminals may take advantage of the rising fuel, travel, and product costs due to the Middle East tensions this Lenten season.

“Because of this Lenten season and summer vacation, dahil sa pagtaas ng ating mga bilihin due to war sa Middle East, we expect na dadami rin ang mga scam activities,” said ACG chief Police Brigadier General Wilson Asueta at a press conference.

(Because of this Lenten season and summer vacation, due to the increase in our prices due to war in the Middle East, we expect that scam activities will also increase.)

“Marami ang mga cases also na lalabas itong accommodations or vacation scam, mga airfare scam. So Mag-ingat po tayo lalo na sa mga offer na ‘too good to be true,’ mga 50% discount, no interest, no down payment,” he added.

(There will be many cases of accommodations or vacation scams, airfare scams. So be careful, especially with offers that are ‘too good to be true,’ like 50% discount, no interest, no down payment.)

The ACG pointed out that rising fuel prices drive cybercrimes as people with financial difficulties are pushed to resort to illegal activities or patronize risky “shadow” markets online.

According to the ACG, the common cybercrimes during this period are online selling scams, phishing & smishing, investment scams, travel & accommodation scams, and identity theft.

Here are some tips from the ACG to avoid cybercrimes:

• For travelers and buyers
• Avoid “too good to be true” deals
• Check seller/account history and reviews
• Use secure platforms 
• Choose Cash on Delivery (COD) option when possible
• Never share your OTP or login details

For online sellers

• Don’t rely on screenshots as proof of payment but always check the account.
• Beware of “overpayment” scams
• Verify buyer identity for big transactions
• Use platforms with seller protection 

For general safety

• Don’t click suspicious links (possible phishing)
• Stay within official app messaging for transactions
• Avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions
• Report scams immediately to authorities

—VAL, GMA Integrated News