ABS-CBN warns viewers to avoid malware sites

LOPEZ-LED ABS-CBN Corp. on Friday warned online Filipino viewers to be vigilant about a new phishing scam that uses the network’s content programs as bait to get the user’s personal information.

ABS- CBN International issued a statement alerting viewers to be watchful online as its anti- piracy group has seen more malware and phishing sites on Google.

“To be clear, websites that appear to offer ABS- CBN TV shows and movies for free on the web other than authorized sites like TFC. tv outside of the Philippines are sites that are really attempting to grab user private information such as passwords, banking information, home address and the like,” said Elisha Lawrence, ABS- CBN assistant vice president, general counsel and head of Global Anti- Piracy and Content Security.

Lawrence cited several malicious websites like Thingsverse. com, a malware spam site that advertises the most current ABS- CBN TV episodes on Google to lure people to click on the site, and Storia. me and Crowdrise. com, which advertise the daily ABS- CBN TV episodes but in fact are phishing sites created to grab user information.

Lawrence stressed that viewers should rely only on the broadcast media’s official sites such as TFC. tv.

“TFC. tv is your online source of currently airing ABS- CBN and TFC shows and Filipino movies and it’s a very expansive hub of Filipino news and entertainment content and other exclusives,” Lawrence said.

“Be wary of other sites offering the content for free. Don’t pay the high price of losing your key private personal information to online criminals over a malicious free offer that seems too good to be true. Remain vigilant to avoid identity theft or financial loss,” Lawrence added.