PLDT Group is sounding the alarm against the surging wave of online fraud in the Philippines, urging the public to maintain heightened awareness in the face of mounting scam cases.
Angel Redoble, the First Vice President and chief information security officer of PLDT and Smart, said that criminals continue to exploit social engineering as their preferred method to deceive customers into divulging critical information.
Redoble emphasized that combatting cybercrime requires a comprehensive approach and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
He underscored the need for people to remain vigilant to avoid falling victim to scams and fraudulent activities.
Phishing attacks, a prevalent form of social engineering, predominantly target mobile users. Perpetrators impersonate reputable entities, sending enticing messages or making calls to manipulate customers into disclosing personal data.
These attacks occur through text messages (SMShing) or voice calls (vishing).
Smart’s intensified anti-criminal initiatives within wireless services have yielded significant results.
The monthly count of blocked SIM cards surged by seven times, reaching over 35,000 in July 2023 from under 5,000 in 2020.
In a single month, more than seven million phishing messages were intercepted and blocked in July alone.
