Exploding Topics said the Philippines is 11th among countries with the most Internet users. Statista likewise said the Pearl of the Orient is the 4th largest e-commerce market in Southeast Asia.
That means the country is more likely to reap the benefits of the online space, as well as the risks for being the most exposed.
Authorities said the latest racket to hit the Philippines is a mobile rewards scam, and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) is urging the public to be more discerning so they could quickly spot and avoid them.
How does a mobile rewards scam work?
CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos warned of a rewards scam that masquerades as a Globe Telecom advisory.
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He specified that the “globeeph.top” domain preys on vulnerable customers via a short message service or SMS, which states:
“The globe service reminds you that your current points account (3,022 points) will expire today. Redeem your points as soon as possible: https://globeeph.top/i. Please reply Y and then SMS, open the SMS to activate the link, or copy the link to the Safari browser and open it.”
Clicking the domain leads an individual to a website that requires personal details and bank account numbers to redeem points.
Ramos said the CICC’s fraud team recommended blocking the domain. He advised the public to stay alert against SMS fraud, especially those from unofficial sources.
“There is nothing to cause for alarm, but as part of the protocol, we have recommended the blocking of the domain to avoid victimizing more customers,” he said.
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“We also want to reiterate our appeal to the public to stop clicking links from unofficial sources in order to avoid being scammed.”
The anti-fraud network, Gogolook, classified the globeeph.top as a “dangerous link.”
“High-risk content detected. Do not click. The URL may contain security issues and attempt to phish for your personal info and money,” the URL scan stated.
The CICC encourages victims of online rewards scams and other cybercrimes to call 1326 of the Inter-Agency Response Center (IARC).