Public warned vs spoofing scams

As spending is expected to increase during the Yuletide season, police have warned the public against another scheme of cyber criminals to steal money.

- By EMMANUEL TUPAS

The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) said text scams are now merging with legitimate message threads.

ACG officer-in-charge Col. Vina Guzman said there are short message service (SMS) text scams included in genuine message threads, which would pose challenges for account holders to distinguish the real from the fraudulent.

Guzman urged cell phone users to be wary of messages with links pretending to be from a bank or financial institution, a likely signal of a spoofing scam.

“Staying vigilant in all online transactions is essential,” Guzman said in a statement.