A global crime syndicate is behind the spam text messages that Filipinos have been receiving and complaining about as of late, according to the National Privacy Commission (NPC)
Privacy Commissioner Raymund Liboro said that NPC's initial reports revealed that the "recent smishing activities are run by a global crime syndicate,” which could be a concern on "national security" if proven true.
"If our initial findings prove true, that personal data is being exploited by criminals abroad, then this also becomes a matter of national security, which should compel government, the private sector and advocate groups to work hand in hand and take more urgent and concrete action to safeguard," Liboro stated.
According to the commissioner, the scam is not from contact-tracing forms that have been used by various establishments amid the pandemic.
“Wala kaming nakikitang ebidensya,” he told DZRH in an interview. “Dahil nga wholesale ito may malaking database silang ginagamit.”
(We don’t see any evidence. Because this is wholesale, a huge database is used.)
Liboro said the scam is also happening in other countries, such as India, Malaysia, and Singapore, and it works by asking victims for money for a sales work that they will do.
“Iooffer sa inyo diyan, ito raw ay isang sales na trabaho pero boboost ka nga raw ng benta ng mga online stores at malaki raw kikitain mo, may mga komisyon,” he told DZRH in an interview.
(They will offer you a sales job, where you will boost the sales of online stores where you will earn a lot with commissions.)
“Pero kailangan mamuhunan ka muna. Scam swindle ito. Pinaghalo na ang fraud dahil maliwanag diyan ang layunin nila maglagak ka nang maglagak ng puhunan mo pero biglang tatakbuhan ka na di mo na sila macocontact muli,” he added.
(But you need to invest in it. This is a scam swindle. This is even mixed with fraud because it is clear that their goal is for the victim to release money through investment. However, they will run from you after that and you will not be able to contact them again.)
To address the matter, the NPC has summoned the data protection officers of telecommunication companies to discuss their prevention and combative measures against the surge of scam texts.
"We have summoned them to detail their current and future measures to combat smishing. Ultimately, we want to secure their commitment and focus in fighting these fraudulent practices so we can best strategize how to block these messages and protect our data subjects," Liboro said.
"We hope to find areas where the NPC and these industry players can establish a more proactive approach in fighting smishing and other scams, moving forward," he added.
Meanwhile, the commission is urging the public to remain vigilant against such messages, and avoid the suspicious links sent to them by the scam texts.
Filipinos are also encouraged to not be gullible against "lofty promises of easy, passive income opportunities and high-paying jobs" that are usually the offers on said scam messages.
"If from an unknown number, and with an offer that is too good to be true, it is most probably not true and is a scam," Liboro said.
The NPC said that it will continue monitoring the situation and urged the public to file a report if they believe their personal data has been compromised.
