Scammers no longer just text, they call!
TEXT scammers these days have become bolder and are no longer content resorting to text messages, they call their intended victims.
This was the case with three professionals who were duped on account of `calls they received purportedly from an ambassador or a lawyer about incidents involving their relatives.
Dagupan police chief P/Superintendent Christopher Abrahano said one of the victims reportedly promptly sent P300,000 in response to each as instructed by the callers last August.
Abrahano said the callers introduced themselves either as a lawyer or ambassador in a country where the victims’ relatives are working. The victims were informed that their kin were involved in a murder case or figured in a road accident and money was needed to process the non-filing of charges or for hospital expenses.
Another victim, a mother, almost gave similar amount when one of her children told her she was being victimized by a syndicate.
In such cases, Abrahano warned and advised would-be victims not to panic but first contact their relatives abroad or their friends, co-workers, or employers to confirm the claimed incidents involving their relatives.
Meanwhile, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) echoed the same warning and advice to the unsuspecting public to be vigilant and promptly report the text scams.
Engr. Ric dela Cruz of NTC-Pangasinan field office told the KBP Forum that their agency continues to receive an average of three to five complaints daily about text scams.
The schemes include informing the recipient of winning in a raffle, or informing him/her of an accident involving a close family member based abroad the “nakaw” or by sending a amount to confirm acceptance which in fact is a “pasaload” scheme.
He advised receivers of text scam messages to report the numbers of the sending mobile numbers to the NTC office or to their service providers: Globe at 730100; Smart-8881111; and Sun-6398000.
In Dagupan, Abrahano provided the following Dagupan police hotlines for help: BELEN 16911 (landlines only), 5295604 PLDT, 09165256802 and 09335024899. (Tita Roces)
