Online Scams Thrive As More People Use The Internet

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced millions of Filipinos to shelter at home and harness the power of the internet for work, education, entertainment, and shopping for both necessities and “retail therapy.”

With so many people going online for the first time, e-commerce has seen unprecedented growth — so has fraudsters taking advantage of consumers who are not new to the digital world and are less security conscious.

This new breed of online scammers targets those seeking investment opportunities as they suddenly find themselves with savings earned from staying at home such as money that would have otherwise been spent on vacations, shopping, dining, and even clothes and accessories.

Also fair game for scammers are the less fortunate who desperately seek alternative means of earning money online because they lost their jobs or because their small businesses are not doing well or had to be shut down.