By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan
MANILA – With the start of the “ber” months, the Philippine National Police – Anti Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) has reiterated its warning to the public against online scams.
In a chance interview in Camp Crame on Wednesday, PNP-ACG spokesperson Lt. Wallen Arancillo particularly cautioned the public against falling victim to “accommodation” and “vishing” scams.
“Sa ngayong ‘ber’ months, ang pinatututukan natin dito ay ‘yung vacation scam o accommodation scam, and also ‘yung voice phishing or vishing scam (This ‘ber’ months, we are focusing on vacation scam or accommodation scam, and also the voice phishing or vishing scam),” Arancillo said.
She urged the public to be extra cautious when booking online especially if the page is offering cheap accommodation, by checking if the site is legitimate.
She also reminded the public to be wary of social media messages and phone calls from strangers.
“Sa panahon ng ‘ber’ months ay marami na tayong mga bonus na natatanggap at marami na ring laman ang mga ATM cards natin kaya pakaingat po tayo sa mga nakakausap natin sa mga social media, and also sa mga tumatawag sa atin (During the ‘ber’ months, we usually have bonuses and our ATM cards are loaded, that’s why we should be careful with who we talk to on social media, and with the calls we receive),” Arancillo said.
“Huwag tayo basta-basta maniniwala sa kanila and also mag-verify tayo sa financial institutions bago tayo makipag-engage sa kanila (Let us not believe them right away and verify first with financial institutions before we engage with them),” she added.
Based on PNP-ACG data, 1,334 cases of online selling scams have been recorded in the first eight months of 2025.
It also logged 496 investment and task scam cases, 330 vishing scam cases, and 110 travel scam cases during the period.
Task scams involve unsolicited messages promising high earnings from simple, repetitive tasks before luring the victim to make large deposits to “complete” further tasks.
Meanwhile, vishing involves perpetrators making phone calls or voice messages pretending to be representatives of legitimate companies to lure victims into giving their personal financial information.
In 2024, PNP-ACG recorded 3,025 online selling scam cases; 1,101 investment and task scam cases; 589 vishing cases; and 253 travel scams. (PNA)
