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According to Explosion Topics, the Philippines ranks 11th among countries with the highest number of internet users. Statista similarly stated that Pearl of the Orient is the fourth largest e-commerce market in Southeast Asia.
This means that while the country is likely to benefit from the online space, it is also likely to enjoy the most risks.
Authorities say mobile reward scams are the latest scheme to hit the Philippines, and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordination Center (CICC) urges citizens to be more discerning to quickly spot and avoid them. .
How does mobile rewards fraud work?
CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos warned of compensation scams disguised as Globe Telecom recommendations.
Read: Top AI Cybercrime Threats and Solutions
He identified the ‘globeeph.top’ domain as preying on vulnerable customers through short message services or SMS, stating:
“Globe Services would like to notify you that your current points account (3,022 points) will expire today. Please redeem your points as soon as possible: https://globeeph.top/i. Reply Y then SMS Reply, open the SMS to activate the link, or copy the link to your Safari browser to open it.
Clicking on the domain directs individuals to a website that requires personal information and bank account number to redeem points.
Ramos said CICC’s fraud team recommended blocking the domain. He advised the public to remain wary of SMS scams, especially those from unofficial sources.
“While there is nothing to be alarmed about, as part of our protocols we have recommended blocking the domain to avoid further harm to our customers,” he said.
Read: Tired of text scams? What to do here
“We would also like to reiterate our appeal to the public not to click on links from unofficial sources to avoid being scammed.”
Anti-fraud network Gogolook has classified globeeph.top as a “dangerous link”.
“High-risk content detected. Do not click. The URL contains security issues and may attempt to phish your personal information or money,” the URL scan says. Masu.
CICC encourages victims of online sweepstakes scams and other cybercrimes to call the Interagency Response Center (IARC) at 1326.
