If you suddenly receive a message on Instagram or any social networking sites, saying you won in an international giveaway for COVID-19 relief, it could be a scam.
This was the warning of the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC over unscrupulous individuals posing as officials of the Philippine Embassy or Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez to dupe social media users.
It was disclosed that the posers send their potential victims a private message via their Instagram or other social media accounts to inform them that their account was "one of the lucky 30 randomly selected winners of the ongoing international giveaway" of the embassy as part of the "COVID-19 relief fund shared by United States round the globe."
Victims will then be asked to pay a transaction fee for the transfer of the cash prize to their bank accounts.
The embassy said there is no such program under them and reminded the public to verify first and dismiss these untrustworthy messages or any other similar offers via social media.
"The Philippine Embassy informs the public that there is no prize selection or program related to a cash giveaway, especially as part of an international COVID-19 relief fund," Romualdez said in a statement.
The embassy also said that they only operate under their verified social media accounts.