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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Yamsuan prods Senate to act on bill vs online scams 

Yamsuan prods Senate to act on bill vs online scams 

Published Nov 28, 2023 09:03 am

At A Glance

  •  Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan wants the Senate to swiftly act on its counterpart measure for the proposed Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA) under House Bill (HB) No. 7393.  

sergey-zolkin-_UeY8aTI6d0-unsplash.jpg(Unsplash)

Are you still receiving suspicious online messages and notifications?

If so, then that's exactly why Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Brian Raymund Yamsuan wants the Senate to swiftly act on its counterpart measure for the proposed Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act (AFASA) under House Bill (HB) No. 7393.

The House measure aims to protect consumers against online scams and fraudulent tactics.

“On top of providing a shield of protection to consumers, the AFASA will also help safeguard the integrity of our financial system,” Yamsuan said in a statement Tuesday, Nov. 28.

“We urge the Senate to pass its version of the AFASA to assure the public that they can continue to trust our financial system as we go forth with our inevitable shift to a digital economy,” added Yamsuan, one of the authors of the HB No.7393.

The House measure was approved on third and final reading back in May 2023. Meanwhile, the Senate’s counterpart legislation remains pending at the committee level.

Yamsuan’s appeal to the Senate comes after reports about the increase of fake bank and e-wallet advisories sent by scammers.

“These scams have become so prevalent that banks have resorted to sending numerous messages to their clients through text, emails and even Viber warning them about these deceptive scheme,” he said in the statement.

Yamsuan noted that mobile wallet providers and telecommunications companies have been urging Congress to fast-track the approval of the AFASA.

According to GCash, an e-wallet provider, it has already blocked four million accounts from January 2022 to June 2022 from its platform over suspicion of fraud.

Furthermore, PLDT found 400,000 mobile numbers engaged in illegal activities such as phishing and spamming.

The ongoing holiday season will stress the importance of this measure as Yamsuan fears an increase in deceptive tactics employed by cybercriminals. --Dexter Barro II

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Bicol Saro Party-list Brian Raymund Yamsuan
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