You have probably received a message at least once in your life that says you've been chosen for a job you did not apply for or that you've won a hefty amount of money that you can claim if you just click the link. Bad news, it's a scam.
These text messages, e-mails, and even calls are all forms of scams that appear to be legitimate but are really meant to gather and compromise your personal information.
Commonly asked details are your birth date, mother's maiden name, bank account details, credit card details, and password.
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Protect yourself from these scams by knowing their different forms. Here's a guide from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas:
Spear Phishing
An email sent to a particular individual or company for the purpose of stealing sensitive information
Pharming
An online scam where users are redirected to a fake website so that their personal information or bank account details can be stolen.
Vishing
A scam where a person pretending to be an employee or representative of a bank or company calls to ask for sensitive information such as credit card and bank details.
Smishing
A scam designed to gather personal information through a link sent via SMS.
SMS Spoofing
Like phishing, this is a scam that involves a text message sent to a particular individual for the purpose of stealing personal information
What you should do
Don't fall prey to scammers. Here are tips from the BSP on how to avoid being victimized:
1. Don't click the link or open any e-mail attachments since doing so could compromise your personal information.
2. Don't give any of your personal information. This includes passwords, bank, and credit card details.
3. Verify the dubious message, email, or call with your financial institution or bank.
4. If proven to be a scam, report the incident to your bank or financial institution.
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