Stay vigilant of online scams: How to make your mobile experience safe, secured
MANILA, Philippines — Time really flies and it is Christmas season once again!
By now, many people are splurging on some amazing holiday sales when they are out shopping at their favorite malls, or taking advantage of Christmas mega-sale discounts on various e-commerce platforms. Shopping presents for your loved ones or even gift rewards for yourself is honestly a must, and you should take your time to really enjoy it.
This holiday season, however, is also the time for online scammers to prey on innocent shoppers out of their money.
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Hence, GCash, Ninja Van and Google have some smart tips for you to make sure you won’t fall victim to various online and mobile scams happening right now:
1. Don’t click random links sent to you
GCash wants to warn you that it will never send you an email asking to click a link. Scammers have become clever to make sure they no longer have typos on their message alerts. They used to misspell words like GAcsh or replace letters with numbers like GC4sh, but they've leveled-up to replicating official web pages by using the same visuals or actual promos to phish details from users.
Their goal is to get your One Time PIN (OTP) so they can link their device to your account, and your MPIN so they can login. If they can’t get your MPIN, they will try to ask for more OTPs in order to reset your MPIN. If you’ve been saving money for your pending bills and you don’t want to wake up as a player in "Squid Game," never give out your MPIN and the OTPs that you receive on your phones.
If you find yourself on the receiving end of any of these suspicious instances or if you have concerns with any of the GCash services, the best way to address them is through the Help Center accessible within the app only.
GCash shares some tips:
- Check the sender or credibility of any website where you are being redirected.
- Never share your MPIN or OTP.
- Only do actions within the GCash app.
Once you tick off everything on this list, make sure you’re "G" to share this so your friends and family can protect themselves, too. For your holiday hauls, don’t forget: magpa-budol wisely!
2. Be vigilant of fake delivery scammers
Meanwhile, as stories of courier and shipping scams have become more rampant on social media these days, Ninja Van Philippines has listed down some of the common tactics used by delivery scammers, and ways to keep them at bay to ensure a safer online shopping experience, especially during holiday sales.
While there is an increase in the number of Filipinos that use digital payment methods over the past year, cash-on-delivery (COD) is still the preferred mode of payment for consumers in the Philippines when it comes to purchasing online. This is mostly attributed to the fact that many want to ensure the product’s condition first before paying for it.
Scammers, however, are now finding ways to use COD payment for their own gain. Usually, their tactics involve luring individuals or family members who assist to receive on behalf of customers to pay in cash for parcels that they did not buy or did not match their expected purchases. To appear more convincing, they pose as legitimate online sellers on their fake websites or place fake ads on social media.
How can you avoid it? Ninja Van Philippines advised the public to be extra vigilant when it comes to receiving deliveries. Double-check if the parcel matches the order ID on your mobile app and reject payment if anything seems suspicious. If you are expecting a parcel that requires COD, let your family members know what it is and when to expect them just in case you are not able to receive them yourself.
You should be vigilant of fake contests too. Have you ever gotten a random message or a call saying that you won a certain raffle and that in order to receive your prize, you need to pay for the shipping fee upon delivery? Before you get all too excited, it is best to first check the legitimacy of these claims because this is another modus operandi that scammers often use to trick unsuspecting individuals.
If it’s too good to be true then it must be a fraud, especially if you don’t remember joining any raffles or contests. To be sure, you can always contact the organizer that’s holding the promotion to inquire. This is also a great way to inform them if any scammers are using their name for illegal means. Lastly, raffles and contests run by legitimate companies will not require you to pay any sort of fee to claim your prize, so that can be your biggest indicator.
Scammers are now also adept at using technology to trick people. They send text messages or emails saying that you have a delivery to confirm or to pick up at the post office, which contain a “confirmation” link that will unknowingly redirect you to a phishing website. These websites use URLs that look similar to those of reputable couriers. These sites will request for you to input your personal information including your banking details to supposedly pay the handling fee of your package.
3. Be kind but brave online
Now for some positive note, Google has announced the official launch of "Be Internet Awesome" in the Philippines.
"Be Internet Awesome" is Google’s free multifaceted program designed to teach kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and online safety.
Particularly, it is focused on five important topics: how to be smart, alert, strong, kind, and brave on the internet. It contains several teaching materials and related resources that can help teach digital literacy concepts to children with the help of teachers and parents.
Together with the Department of Education (DepEd), Google implemented a pilot run of Be Internet Awesome in the Philippines to test it and gather feedback that could help improve the program further. The pilot run was conducted in more than 20 schools from across Antipolo, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, and Nueva Ecija.
"The Internet is a crucial part of everyday life. For kids and students, it opens up many opportunities to play, learn, and connect. However, it also exposes them to risks that adults face too,” said Bernadette Nacario, Country Director of Google Philippines.
“With Be Internet Awesome, we hope to help parents and educators in promoting and teaching digital responsibility inside and outside of the classroom -- to raise the next generation of netizens who’s more smart, alert, strong, kind, and brave online. We will continue to work closely with the Department of Education and other partners from across sectors to bring Be Internet Awesome to more students and communities nationwide," said Bernadette Nacario, Country Director of Google Philippines.
The results of the pilot run were encouraging. The students gave a high rating between 90% and 94% across key attributes of Be Internet Awesome.
"Educating students about digital responsibility is imperative and using Google's Be Internet Awesome is an effective way to do this. We’d like to thank Google for launching an important program that will equip our teachers and parents with the accessible resources they need to teach digital citizenship," said Leonor Magtolis Briones, Secretary of the Department of Education.
