MANILA, Philippines- May kabuuang 6,157,517 text short message service (SMS) scams ang naiulat sa Pilipinas noong 2024, ayon sa caller identification service provider Whoscall nitong Miyerkules.
Sinabi ni Mel Migriño, country head para sa Whoscall’s developer Gogolook, na karamihan sa text scams ay na-monitor sa ika-apat na quarter noong nakaraang taon sa 2,079,968.
“The data shows that the fourth quarter accounted for the largest share, comprising 33.8 percent of the total SMS scams recorded in 2024,” pahayag ni Migriño.
Ang Disyembre, saklaw ang holiday season, ang may pinakamataas na bilang ng naiulat na text scams na pumalo sa 708,005.
Binanggit ni Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) executive director Undersecretary Alexander Ramos ang pagbabago sa text scam schemes sa huling quarter.
“Spoofing scams, where scammers impersonate official SMS channels of telcos, e-wallets, digital banks, and other brands by sending messages containing malicious links, have become more prevalent,” ani Ramos.
“The tone of these Spoofing scam messages often creates a sense of urgency, often claiming rewards will expire or passwords are about to become invalid. These messages typically instruct recipients to click on a link to update their information. However, this link is a gateway for scammers to access their victims’ digital banking or e-wallet accounts,” dagdag ng opisyal.
Nasa 600,000 Pilipino ang nabiktima ng text scam noong 2024. Karamihan sa mga ito ay naiulat noong ika-apat na quarter sa 201,760, batay sa Whoscall.
“Many are in need of cash or extra income during the holiday seasons,” ayon kay Ramos. RNT/SA