Imagine that you are Paulo, a retired government
worker who lives alone and likes to keep in touch with family and friends
through Facebook.
One day, you get a message from your niece, Ann, who
lives in the USA. The message says that Ann is taking a vacation in Europe and
is in trouble and needs your help urgently. You are surprised and worried and
reply to the message, asking what is wrong. The message says that Ann was
involved in a car accident and that she needs money to pay for the hospital
bills and the damages.
The message also says that Ann cannot contact anyone
else, because her phone is broken and she has no access to her bank account.
The message asks you to send $2,000 through a money remittance service, such as
Western Union or MoneyGram, and provides the name and address of the receiver.
You are shocked and confused, but you love your niece and want to help her.
What would you do?
Our above opening episode, in the thick of typical scam
stories on the internet today, illustrates how online scams can happen and how
they can affect the victims. The drift of the story, a Facebook Messenger scam
example, as well as the other stories in this article, aim to raise awareness
and educate the readers about online scams and how to avoid and prevent them.
The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) reported that at least P155 million were lost due to scams and fraud in the country from January to August 2023. Online scams are not a funny business, and they can happen to anyone. Read on to get the picture.
ONLINE SELLING SCAM
Jean (not her real name), having just gotten her career
off the ground, loves to shop online for clothes, shoes, and accessories. She
follows several online sellers on Facebook and Instagram and often buys from
them using her debit card or payment app.
One day, she sees an advertisement on Facebook for a
new online store that sells branded items at very low prices. The ad claims
that the store is having a clearance sale and that the stocks are limited. She
clicks on the ad and is directed to a website that looks professional and
authentic. She sees photos of the products, customer reviews, and a secure
payment system.
She decides to buy a pair of sneakers that she has
been wanting for a long time, but could not afford. The website says that the
sneakers are on sale for only P1,500, down from P5,000. She thinks that this is
a great deal and adds the sneakers to her cart.
She then proceeds to check out and enters her personal
and delivery information. The website asks her to pay using a money remittance service, such as Palawan Express or Cebuana Lhuillier. Jean finds this a bit
strange, but she thinks that maybe the store is new and does not have other
payment options yet.
She agrees to pay using the money remittance service
and receives a confirmation email with the details of the transaction. The
email says that she has to send the money within 24 hours, or else her order
will be canceled.
She goes to the nearest branch of the money remittance
service and sends the money to the name and address provided by the website.
She then sends a photo of the receipt to the email address of the online store.
She expects to receive a tracking number or a delivery
confirmation, but she has not heard anything from the online store. She tries to
contact them through email, phone, or social media, but she gets no response. Jean
realizes that she has been scammed.
PHISHING SCAM
Liza (not her real name) is a college student who uses
her email for her school work, her communication, and her online banking. She gets
a lot of emails every day, and she does not always check the sender’s address
or the content of the mail.
One day, she gets an email that looks like it is from
her local bank. The email says that there is a problem with her account and
that she needs to update her personal information and verify her identity.
The email also says that if she does not do this
within 24 hours, her account will be suspended. She is alarmed and worried and
clicks on the link that is provided in the email. She is directed to a website
that looks like the official website of her local bank. She sees the logo, the
colors, and the layout that she is familiar with. She does not notice that the
URL of the website is different from the real one and that it has a spelling
error or a different domain.
She enters her username and password and then fills
out a form that asks for her personal and financial information, such as her
name, address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number, credit card
number, and PIN. She submits the form and gets a confirmation message that says
that her account has been updated and verified.
She thinks that everything is fine and closes the website. She does not realize that she has just given her information to a scammer. When she gets a notification from her bank that her account has been compromised, Liza finds out that she has been scammed.
RUN-OF-THE-MILL SCAMS
Online scams can take many forms and methods depending
on the target, the motive, and the technology of the scammers. Some online
scams are more prevalent than others. Besides Facebook Messenger, online
shopping, and phishing scams, other common scams are:
Online Paluwagan. You are recruited to join a group
where people agree to contribute a weekly or monthly fixed amount of money and
take turns to get the total amount. Running a fraudulent online savings scheme,
the scammer afterward disappears with the group’s money before you can take
your turn.
Catfishing. You get a message from someone with a fake
online profile using stolen photos or stories. The scammer builds a romantic, psycho-emotional,
or spiritual bond with you, and in due time asks convincingly for your money.
Lottery scam. You get a message that you won a large sum
of money funded by the UN or Google. Before you get the prize, you first pay a
fee, a tax, or a shipping cost leading to nowhere.
Fake travel agencies. You get an offer online of cheap
or discounted travel packages, tickets, or accommodations with fake or stolen
photos, reviews, or testimonials. You pay through a bank transfer or money
remittance app and get nothing.
Pyramid and investment schemes. You get an investment
offer promising high returns in a short period. At first, you get returns from
other new members creating a pyramid structure. In due course, the scammer
disappears with your money.
PREVENTIVE TIPS
·
Block unwanted
messages.
·
Don’t
give your personal or financial information, if in doubt.
·
Resist
the pressure to act immediately.
·
Know signs
of a scam, such as unusual payment method
·
Protect
your computer and your accounts
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
A while back, my niece Jhoi got a message from “Me” on
her private messenger. “Me” was not me, and the message was not mine. Someone cloned my FB account. Below is the scammer’s unedited message:
“I’m just wondering if you’ve heard about the
International Fund (IMF) COVID-19 financial relief and fund recovery grant
program going on around now.
“They are affiliated with the world bank authorized
recently to assist us in paying bills, to retired and senior citizen also help
start business and for other reasons just after the covid pandemic haven’t you
heard about them as well?
“A friend of mine introduced them to me recently, I
couldn’t believe until I got the grant delivered to my doorstep too, I got
$75,000 after I applied and it doesn’t need to be paid back and everyone is
eligible to apply for this opportunity.
“Should I share you this link to the attorney in
charge so that you can apply as well?
“I’m enjoying my vacation trip at Singapore.
“I’m just trying to share the blessings that God has
done to me.”
The red flag is Singapore. My relatives knew full well
my SSS pension is too meager to bear the cost of a day’s stay in that pricey
city. All at once, Jhoi blocked the scammer.
Recently, I got personal messages from a couple of FB friends
sharing compelling stories and were asking donations for sick peers and needy
people. My friends were so convincing that I couldn’t figure out if they’re
cloned or not. The red flag: asking for donations was not their style. My
saving grace: I have no extra resources to spare.
Let me spice up a bit the finale of this pressing article
with jokes:
I wonder why the book “How To Scam People Online” I ordered
some time ago hasn’t arrived yet.
A scam message starts with “Dear Valued Client” and
ends with “Please send money”.
Content put together in collaboration with Microsoft
Bing AI-powered co-pilot
Head photo courtesy of Kaspersky
Video clips courtesy of YouTube
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