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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Be wary of 'high-tech' scams using AI, Tiangco tells Pinoys

Be wary of 'high-tech' scams using AI, Tiangco tells Pinoys

Published Jun 23, 2025 01:08 pm

At A Glance

  • Filipinos must be extra wary and vigilant against scams that are made to look convincing through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
(Unsplash)
(Unsplash)


Filipinos must be extra wary and vigilant against scams that are made to look convincing through the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Thus, said Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco, chairman of the House Committee on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in the 19th Congress, in a statement Monday, June 23.
Nakakalungkot dahil habang umaangat ang ating teknolohiya, nagiging high-tech na rin ang mga scammers (It’s disheartening that as our technology advances, scammers are becoming more high-tech as well), he said.
Tiangco cited increasing reports of AI being used to create fake transaction slips, which scammers send to deceive individuals and business owners.
“Paalala po sa ating mga kababayan, pati na rin sa mga negosyo, huwag basta-basta maniwala sa ipinapakitang resibo ng transaksyon. Mag-double check, mag-validate, dahil kayang-kaya na ngayong gumawa ng pekeng slip gamit ang AI,” he warned.
(A reminder to our fellow citizens and businesses: don’t easily trust transaction receipts being presented. Double-check and validate them, because it’s now very easy to create fake slips using AI.)
Lagi pong mag-ingat at maging mapagmatyag dahil talamak na ang paggamit ng AI para makapanlamang sa kapwa (Always be cautious and vigilant, because the use of AI to take advantage of others is becoming widespread), Tiangco said.
The veteran solon also raised concern over the rise of romance and investment scams made more convincing through AI-generated videos and images.
“May mga scam ngayon kung saan may ka-video call ka pa. Akala mo totoo ang kausap mo, pero AI-generated na pala ang mukha at boses (There are scams nowadays where you're even on a video call. You think you’re talking to a real person, but it turns out the face and voice are AI-generated).
“Nakakatakot dahil napakadali nang manlinlang ngayon. Ginagamit pa ang mukha ng mga kilalang tao para manlinlang ng iba. Kaya tandaan natin, kung sobrang ganda ng offer, malamang scam na ‘yan,” he added.
(It’s frightening how easy it is to deceive people now. Scammers are even using the faces of well-known individuals to trick others. So remember, if the offer seems too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.)
Tiangco emphasized the urgency of protecting the public and issued a stern warning to those behind such fraudulent activities.
“Itigil na po ang ganitong mga gawain dahil sa oras na mahuli kayo ng kinauukulan, maaari kayong sampahan ng kasong paglabag sa Cybercrime Prevention Act, pati na ang Anti-Financial Scamming Act na magdudulot ng 12 hanggang 20 taon na pagkakakulong, he said.
(These activities must stop. If you’re caught by the authorities, you may be charged with violating the Cybercrime Prevention Act and the Anti-Financial Scamming Act, which carries a penalty of 12 to 20 years of imprisonment.)
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