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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Protect yourself from scams: 4 crucial questions to ask before engaging in any Facebook transactions

Protect yourself from scams: 4 crucial questions to ask before engaging in any Facebook transactions

Published Mar 9, 2024 02:58 pm

At A Glance

  • One of the most popular online platforms for business transactions is Facebook.
  • This only underscores the significant impact of Facebook on modern society, particularly in terms of business-related transactions.
  •  the group urged online business owners to be transparent with details, allowing the public to verify information.
  •  

The cyberspace accelerates business transactions, making it possible to conduct business seamlessly from the comfort of one's home.

However, these perks are always accompanied by drawbacks, as online culprits strive for innovation by upgrading their skills and resources to enhance the effectiveness of their cyber scams.

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Photo from Pixabay

One of the most popular online platforms for business transactions is Facebook, a social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms.

In fact, on March 5, the Facebook community buzzed in the cyber world as accounts, not only on the said social media platform but also on Instagram and Threads, experienced a forced log-out.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/6/meta-suffers-global-facebook-instagram-outage

This only underscores the significant impact of Facebook on modern society, particularly in terms of business-related transactions.

In a social media post on March 9, Scam Watch Pilipinas, the national citizen arm of the Philippine government dedicated to educating Filipinos about cyber fraud, shared a list of "Iwas Scam Tips" (Tips to Avoid Scams) to consider before entering any transaction on Facebook.

Scam Watch Pilipinas enumerated the list of “mga dapat itanong sa sarili bago patulan ang mga ganitong offers kahit saan sa FB (Facebook)” (questions to ask oneself before entertaining such offers anywhere on Facebook):

“Ano ang Ino-offer?” (What is being offered); “Bakit pera agad ang pang come-on?” (Why is money immediately used as the come-on); “Bakit Anonymous Participant ang nag post?” (Why did an Anonymous Participant make the post); and “Bakit walang mga detalye? Ano ba talaga ito? Paano mo ive-verify kung legit talaga?” (Why are there no details? What is this really? How do you verify if it's truly legit).

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Photo from Scam Watch Pilipinas/ Fcaebook

Moreover, the group urged online business owners to be transparent with details, allowing the public to verify information.

"Appeal to those engaged in online businesses: If possible, let's be transparent with the details,” Scam Watch Pilipinas said in Filipino.

Fake Facebook account

Furthermore, Scam Watch Pilipinas provided a list of three signs to help identify a fake Facebook account.

The group highlighted that fake Facebook accounts typically exhibit the following signs: "Fake profile picture," "all friends are foreigners," and "unable to message, add, or follow."

Related Tags

facebook scam Facebook online transactions
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