PH tops online shopping scam list
THE Philippines needs to urgently step up its awareness campaign against internetbased rackets as it topped the online shopping scam list in the 2023 Asia Scam Report, a survey conducted by the Global Anti-scam Alliance in partnership with the Taiwan-based tech security company Gogolook.
In addition, the Philippine National Police recorded over 19,000 cybercrime incidents, marking an almost 70 percent increase from the previous year. The majority of these cases, approximately 14,000 incidents, were related to online scams.
Recent government data indicates a 20 percent rise in cybercrime cases during the first quarter of the year compared to the last quarter of 2023.
In this regard, several government agencies joined forces with the private sector to step up the fight against online fraud and scams with an education campaign focused on bolstering consumer protection online.
On Saturday, Bayan Academy and the Citizen Watch Philippines led the launching of “Be Wais” Civic Education Campaign against fraud and Scams aims to increase awareness among the public about the various types of scams, empowering them to spot and avoid the prevalent fraudulent activities online.
Representatives from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the United States Agency for International Development (Usaid) philippines attended the event, along with private sector partners Meta and SM Supermalls.
The group released the first of a series of educational videos illustrating the deceptive tactics of various scams, such as online shopping scams, phishing or bank scams, job scams, love scams, investment scams, and brand impersonation scams. These videos will also be shared on the social media platforms of the government agencies, the private sector and advocacy partners.
The Department of Justice noted that 90% of all crimes these days have cybercrime content.
Similarly, the SEC has observed a rapid increase in the number of investment scams perpetrated online since the start of the pandemic.
“This is why we are ramping up our financial literacy drive to empower them to be wiser in their investment decisions, as well as in the selection of various financial products and services, and intensifying our enforcement efforts to make sure scammers are put behind bars,” SEC Chairman Emilio B. Aquino said in a statement.
Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac pointed out that overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) are often targets of investment scams, consumer fraud, and worse, illegal recruitment and human trafficking.
“Empowerment is the cornerstone of our vision. With collaborative initiatives from our partner agencies and concerned stakeholders, we continue to support OFWS and their families in managing their hard-earned money and in helping them make wise financial decisions, as well as in maximizing their earning potential from the livelihood support from our reintegration services,” Cacdac said.
In his remarks, Usaid-philippines’ Deputy Director of Economic Development and Governance Eric Florimon Reed stressed the importance of consumer trust in building a resilient digital economy.
“For a digital economy to flourish and be sustainable, it is important that consumers trust the integrity and fairness of digital marketplaces. In turn, these marketplaces need to prioritize and promote transparent and ethical practices that engender such trust, allowing consumers to confidently engage and transact online,” Reed said.
Christopher Belmonte, co-convenor of Citizenwatch Philippines and former congressman, stressed the need for all sectors of society to come together to combat online fraud and scams.
“The 2023 Asia Scam Report ranked the Philippines first in Southeast and East Asia with an online scam rate of 35.9 percent. Cybercrime in all its forms is indeed a serious problem that requires our whole society working together to expose and counteract,” Belmonte said.
“While we push government and online platforms to strengthen citizens’ cyber-protection, we must also arm ourselves with the know-how to ensure that these fraudsters, scammers and thieves do not succeed,” he added.
Francisco Enrique Bernardo III, chairman and president of Bayan Family of Foundations, said empowering people through education and awareness-raising is one way to address the issue of online fraud and scams.
“Scammers get more and more creative. We need to be familiar with their dirty tricks so we can spot and prevent ourselves from getting scammed. When something is too good to be true, take a moment. Be doubtful. Pause before reacting, buying, or sending money online. No matter the style or type of scam, it helps to Be WAIS at MAGDUDA,” Bernardo said.