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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DICT cites decrease in cyber scam incident reports during holiday season

DICT cites decrease in cyber scam incident reports during holiday season

Published Dec 29, 2023 02:39 am

The holiday season saw a decline in reports of online scams, which the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) attributed to increased awareness raised by the organization's efforts to stop online scams.

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Photo credit to Unsplash.

"Based on the reports from our hotline 1326, it seems that the incidents have decreased," DICT Assistant Secretary and Spokesperson Renato "Aboy" Paraiso said in an interview with the Manila Bulletin on Dec. 28.

Paraiso noted that the agency's efforts to combat online scams may have raised awareness, which could be the cause of this decline.

"Perhaps we have raised awareness among our fellow citizens regarding the online scams that are being perpetrated against them, especially this Christmas season," Paraiso said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Among 11 Asian countries (Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, China, and Indonesia), the Philippines had the highest rate of shopping scams prior to Christmas.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2023/11/23/ph-records-highest-shopping-scam-rate-among-11-asian-countries 

Consequently, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), an affiliated agency of the DICT, launched an online campaign aimed at fostering vigilance against scams during the holiday season—titled "12 Scams of Christmas."

The aforementioned awareness campaign comprises 12 common scam tactics employed by online perpetrators.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/5/anti-scam-christmas-campaign-launched-to-protect-filipinos-from-cyber-fraud-1 

Meanwhile, Paraiso assured that scams reported through the hotline will be investigated according to proper procedure.

"Right now, the reports are being gathered for evidentiary purposes, and there will be an investigation. After that, we will pass it for prosecution purposes," he said.

"That is our flow on how to hold accountable those individuals engaging in or perpetuating these scams," he explained.

During the Christmas season, the DICT has been disseminating a number of tips to help prevent scam incidents.

These tips include sticking to reputable online shopping platforms and avoiding clicking on dubious links.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/21/dict-warns-public-vs-christmas-online-scams 

Related Tags

Department of Information and Communications Technology online scams
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