The Philippine Chamber of Telecommunications Operators (PCTO) warns the public about the increasing threat posed by spoofed SMS, urging mobile phone users to exercise heightened vigilance to combat this sophisticated scam.
Spoofing is a technique where fraudsters impersonate SMS channels to deceive recipients. The practice has seen a marked rise, especially in Metro Manila, with the strict implementation of SIM registration last year to combat SMS fraud.
For instance, customers have reported incidents in which messages, imitating sender IDs of telcos and banks, entice them with fraudulent links to redeem non-existent rewards, including mobile devices. Those who fall for spoofed SMS and engage with senders may unwittingly give away personal and sensitive information, giving fraudsters access to their online accounts such as social media profiles, e-wallet and banking accounts.
