DOTr, Beep warns public vs ‘12-month free travel card’ scam

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation and the company that operates the beep card payment system have warned the public about a fake online promotion offering a 12-month free travel card. 

In a statement on Monday, AF Payments Inc. (AFPI) chief executive officer JJ Moreno said that there is no authorized promotion of such beep cards offering free rides, calling posts about it “misleading, bogus, and fraudulent.”

“We urge beep card users and commuters to prioritize safety by being vigilant and refraining from clicking on or subscribing to any suspicious links that could potentially compromise your personal and financial data,” Moreno said.

The DOTr earlier warned the public against a certain Facebook page that spread the false promotion, which it said was “not in any way a part of or an official affiliate account under the DOTr or any of its attached agencies.”

Jorjette Aquino, assistant secretary for railways and MRT-3 officer-in-charge, cautioned the public from engaging in online transactions with unauthorized accounts.

“The DOTr, DOTr-MRT3, and the LRTA never request credit card details in any of their interactions with the public,” Aquino said in a statement. 

“We urge commuters to verify all online information through the official websites and social media channels of DOTr, DOTr-MRT-3, and LRTA, as there may be malicious parties with fraudulent intentions attempting to deceive the public,” the DOTr official added.

Moreno added that legitimate beep cards can only be bought from official outlets such as those at the Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1), LRT-2, Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3), select convenience stores, and through its online shops at Shopee and Lazada.