Gatchalian to law enforcers: Hunt down online scammers

Senator Win Gatchalian has called on all law enforcement units in the country to step up efforts against online scammers especially those who operated even during the lockdown.

“Authorities should beef up their online presence to safeguard Filipinos against online scams and other related cybercrimes,” Gatchalian said.

“As more Filipinos spend most of their time online during this time of the pandemic, cyber criminals take advantage of preying on vulnerable people as they seek out information and data on the internet to maximize revenue,” he further noted.

Gatchalian as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Economic Affairs called for stricter online monitoring by authorities as well as rigorous information dissemination on the latest online scams to ensure that potential victims will not fall prey to those who exploit the prevailing health crisis.

American consumer credit reporting agency TransUnion reported last May 13 that suspected fraudulent digital transactions worldwide have increased from March to April this year.

Out of the 9,215 adults surveyed in the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, India, South Africa, and the U.K. 29% said they were targeted by digital fraud related to COVID-19. TransUnion also noted that millennials have been the most targeted by fraudsters using COVID-19 scams.

The legislator also called on the public to be extra vigilant in giving out their personal data online.

"Sa panahon ng pandemya na ang lahat ng Pilipino ay nakatutok sa internet dahil sa umiiral na community quarantine at social distancing, maraming sindikato ang nagsasamantala upang makapanloko para sa sarili nilang kapakanan. Kaya dapat paigtingin pa ng ating mga awtoridad ang pagbabantay sa iba't ibang bagong scams na magsusulputan sa panahon ng pandemya upang maprotektahan natin ang ating mga kababayan (During this pandemic, Filipinos are on the Internet because of community quarantine and social distancing. Many crime syndicates are out to deceive people for their own gain. Thus, authorities must intensify their efforts against new scams coming out during the pandemic)," Gatchalian said.

He advised everyone to observe necessary precautionary measures such as looking closely at email sender addresses, being cautious in opening attachments especially coming from unknown sources, and being suspicious of those who call to verify any pertinent information. He also told the public to secure their browsers and back-up important files.

“It is also important for the public to immediately report such crimes to the PNP and NBI for proper action and documentation,” Gatchalian said.