PNP warns public vs spam messages

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday warned the public against spam messages offering job opportunities as well as Christmas perks and freebies.

PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said most victims were offered jobs such as processing online orders of a shopping app, only to learn later that they had been scammed.

“Scammers pretend to be connected with well-established companies that will process the job applications,” Carlos said in a statement.

Spamming, according to the PNP, is a method used by unscrupulous individuals to entice potential victims to respond to text messages, which are sent in bulk.

The modus is to lure the subscriber to click on a link that will subsequently redirect users to a messaging application where their personal information is collected.

To avoid becoming a victim, Carlos urged the public to conduct a background check before disclosing any information to another party, especially on social media. Another option is to ignore messages from anonymous senders.

Carlos said people should not give vital information without verifying the legitimacy of the transaction.