NTC orders telcos to deactivate, block links in scam text messages

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has directed telecommunication companies to block or deactivate domains and uniform resource locators (URLs) contained in scam text messages. In a letter to Smart Communications, Inc., Globe Telecom, Inc., and DITO Telecommunity Corp. dated Sept. 12, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel A. Cordoba said that URLs, TinyURLS, SmartLinks and QR codes from […]

Senate to probe rampant text scams; House body approves SIM card bill

By Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, Reporter A SENATOR has filed a resolution seeking to investigate rampant “personalized text scams” that use spam and phishing to victimize Filipinos. “It is alarming that while major telecommunication providers claim to have already blocked a significant number of spam and phishing text messages, the problem continues to hound many […]

Cabaero: Personalized scams

Has anyone been penalized for violating privacy laws in the Philippines? This question cropped up again as scammers were found to have innovated in their ways to target victims through personalized messages.The social media post of Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen last week on how scams have evolved resulted in the usual kneejerk investigations and […]

Fake job text scams likely to persist as joblessness worsens

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Senior Reporter FILIPINOS can expect more phishing attacks as unemployment in the country continues to worsen, experts said. Cybercriminals use text messages to trick mobile phone users into visiting malicious websites to obtain their personal information, including banking information, credit cards, and addresses. “The phishing machinery relies on urgency or something […]