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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Public warned vs fake CICC social media pages asking for payments

Public warned vs fake CICC social media pages asking for payments

Published Jul 31, 2026 02:39 pm

At A Glance

  • Recently, the agency received reports that unscrupulous groups have been using the CICC's name, logo, and identity to persuade scam victims to pay fees in exchange for assistance in recovering money they had already lost to online fraud.
(PHOTO: PIXABAY)
(PHOTO: PIXABAY)
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) on Friday, July 31, warned the public about scammers impersonating the agency through fake Facebook accounts and other social media pages to lure netizens into paying bogus fees to recover money they have already lost.
The agency recently received reports that unscrupulous groups have been using the CICC’s name, logo, and identity to persuade scam victims to pay fees in exchange for assistance in recovering money they had already lost to online fraud.
“[T]he CICC never asks for any fee for receiving complaints, assisting victims, or investigating cybercrime cases. Our services are entirely free,” it said in a statement. 
“True to our mandate as the country’s cyber defenders, we are always ready to receive complaints and help victims of cybercrime without asking for anything in return.”
According to the CICC, cybercriminals have become bolder by impersonating government agencies, including the CICC, through spoofed or fake accounts to gain the public’s trust. 
The agency said the public should immediately treat as a scam anyone claiming to be from the CICC who asks for money to cover processing fees, legal fees, or any other payment in exchange for assistance.
“We encourage everyone to exercise extra caution. Always verify first before engaging with any account claiming to represent the CICC, and report suspicious pages immediately through Hotline 1326 or any of our official communication channels,” it said.
The agency urged the public to remain vigilant and rely only on the CICC’s official and verified communication channels. 
In addition, CICC said it continues to work closely with the Presidential Communications Office, Meta, and independent fact-checking organizations to speed up the reporting, verification, and takedown of fake accounts and fraudulent content.
“Through these partnerships, we have established priority mechanisms that allow government agencies to act more swiftly against pages and accounts that spread scams, fake news and other forms of online deception,” the agency said.

Related Tags

Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center CICC online scams fake social media accounts impersonation recovery scam cybercrime hotline 1326
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