CICC warns public vs text scam on traffic violations
By Sonny Daanoy
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) issued a public alert on Wednesday, June 26, following the detection of a new wave of short message service (SMS) or text scams targeting motorists with records of traffic violations.
It urged the public to disregard SMS scams purporting to be from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) regarding traffic violations.
In a statement, CICC Executive Director Alexander K. Ramos detailed the cyber culprits' modus operandi
“Victims are instructed to pay the fine for their traffic violation through a certain link,” Ramos said.
“We appeal to the public to be more discerning. The MMDA will never text traffic violators,” he added.
The link in the scam message directs users to a fake website posing as the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
On this site, motorists are prompted to enter their plate number to check for traffic violations and pay fines through online payment channels.
Meanwhile, CICC reiterated its appeal to the public to refrain from clicking on suspicious links and sharing personal information to safeguard against text scams involving fake MMDA and LTO websites.
On June 21, the MMDA clarified in a social media post that they do not send text messages or notices demanding fine payments through links.
They also emphasized that traffic enforcers generally do not request personal contact information when issuing citations.
The CICC, an attached agency of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, advised victims of text scams and other cybercrimes to contact the Inter-Agency Response Hotline 1326.