According to the Digital 2018 report of Hootsuite, there are now 67 million Filipinos actively using the internet. With our growing numbers of OFWs, we can expect this number to increase. It’s not surprising then that scams have also proliferated online preying on innocent internet users.
Globe Telecom has been in the forefront of educating internet users through its #makeITsafePH campaign. As an active online user and have likewise been victimized by online scams, I would also like to help educate Filipino online users on how to spot and avoid online scams.
1. Investment Scams
Investment scams are very attractive because they make you believe you are going to earn a lot of money in a short time. We all want that right? I’m ashamed to admit I have also succumbed to my greed by investing in one. The most common investment scam is the pyramiding or ponzi scheme where they guarantee high return if you recruit members. At first, you might recover your investments and earn something but as more people join the group and with the source of income mostly coming from membership fees, the pyramid will soon collapse and your investments and those of your recruits goes with it. The worse part is not the money you lost but the trust of the people your recruited. When an investment is too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.
2. Lottery Winning Scams
Lottery scams are those text and emails you receive telling you you won the lottery. I can’t believe how many people are still fooled by this. You can never win a lottery or raffle that you did not join. If you win a lottery, you will never be required to pay for anything before you can claim your prize.
3. Romance Scams
Social media is the new avenue for scammers to find their victims. Romance scammers are those who steal another person’s profile picture, pretend to be somebody and prey on women. If they are already in a sort of relationship with their victims, they would then ask money. Or worse, meetup and rape the victims.
I do not post my status in my Facebook account and I’m in my early 40s so my profile might be attractive to these scammers. I often receive friend invites from foreign looking guys and some even send direct messages. How to check if these persons are scammers? You check their profiles and you will find that they have just recently joined Facebook, no timeline updates, and they only have a few friends who are mostly women. Ladies, always be wary of the people you meet online. If you are going to meetup, you choose the location, preferably in a public place, and bring somebody with you. I am of the mIRC generation and we also do eyeballs (meetups) back then. There are a lot of good people you can meet online but be careful because the scam artists also just waiting for their chance.
4. Online Shopping Scams
Social media has made it easier for anybody to sell online. It’s also a great place for buyers to get good deals and buy hard-to-find items. To avoid being scammed, make sure to check the profile of the seller, check the reviews if available, and when doing meetups, bring a friend with you.
5. Nigerian Scams
Nigerian scam is probably one of the oldest scams on the internet. I’m not sure if they can still victimize people but I can still see those kinds of emails in my spam folder. A typical Nigerian scam involves an email or message in social media from a supposedly Nigerian royalty or high-ranking government official who offers to give you a large sum of money if you help them transfer their money out of their country. They will then ask for your bank details which they will use to steal your money. To avoid being scammed, just don’t entertain emails or messages from somebody from another country asking for help especially if they involve money.
The internet offers a lot of opportunities for people to earn extra income legally and I can personally attest to this. On the other hand, it also offers a lot of opportunities for scammers to earn a lot of money from unsuspecting victims. Don’t be a victim. Educate yourself and if you have been a victim, don’t be afraid to share your story so that other people can learn from it.