The Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Mimaropa has issued a warning to the general public about online scams that are carried out through social media, specifically the message scam known as “Ikaw ba ang nasa video?”
The anti-cybercrime unit issued a warning to the public to avoid clicking links in spam messages that could reset Facebook messengers, which would then be used by identity thieves to notify friends of potential victims and request money.
“Spam messages are unsolicited, unexpected text messages that arrive on your phone,” RACU said.
The national cybercrime police had tallied about 120 cases as a result of the scam in the previous week from netizens who had been victimized.
“They usually contain advertising content or a much worse alternative call to action that makes the recipient reveal their personal information,” the statement said.
RACU also cautioned the public against accepting friend requests and chatting with strangers who may be using fake accounts to lure future victims.
It also advised the public to exercise caution when sending private photos and videos that could be used to blackmail them for extortion.
“I-report agad at i-block ang harasser na nanghihingi o nagpapadala ng mga nudes, malalaswa at violent contents,” the PNP-RACU said.
