A fake Land Transportation Office (LTO) Facebook account has allegedly been charging victims up to P6,500 for the processing of driver's licenses.
The LTO warned the public about the activities of this bogus account Wednesday, June 2 and told them not to perform transactions with the people behind the account.
"The calls on the public not to engage or transact with a fraudulent Facebook page posing as an authentic and legitimate LTO account. The account, which has a Facebook handle @OfficialLTOlicenseassistance or LTO License Assistance Center, offers processing of driver’s licenses and applicants from P3,500 to P6,500," the verified Facebook account of LTO said in a post.
"These scammers are encouraging fixing through non-taking and non-appearance in the driver’s license exam," it noted.
As far as the LTO is concerned, Filipinos shouldn't give their private and personal details online especially to unauthorized and unverified pages. This is because their personal details might get used for identity theft and other unlawful activities.
"The LTO would also like to clarify that the driver’s licenses issued through this bogus LTO License Assistance Center Facebook page or any other individual outside the LTO Office are counterfeit and invalid. Thus, a motorist who is caught possessing a fake license will be meted with stiffer penalties," it added.
"The LTO is likewise calling on the public to mass report the said page with Facebook page link https://m.facebook.com/OfficialLTOlicenseassistance/ to stop its fraudulent practice," it further said.
The LTO is an attached agency of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).