Among the tips from various platforms and experts, one constant piece of advice is to avoid clicking random links from unsolicited SMS messages, messaging apps, or emails.
As the Christmas season ushers in, the concept of holiday shopping has shifted online, aligning with the ongoing digital transformation of today’s generation.
Numerous websites are available for people to shop for Christmas gifts. However, this convenience has also become an opportunity for online scammers to exploit.
They create fake websites designed to steal personal information from unsuspecting victims.
Gogolook Philippines Country Head Mel Migriño referenced a report from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) detailing the scams Filipinos commonly encounter.
“The study found that over 30% of Filipino respondents encounter shopping website scams,” Ms. Migriño said.
“This is followed by investment scams, advance fee scams, and identity theft,” she added.
With this, Ms. Migriño highlighted the Web Checker feature of Whoscall, a global anti-scam application, as a useful tool for the public.
“Users can leverage on the auto web checker functionality to verify if the URL or domain is suspicious or not, and secures your internet connection,” Ms. Migriño explained.
AI for victim profiling
Furthermore, online scammers are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to profile victims more efficiently.
“With AI, scammers can quickly analyze and profile their targets, which helps them decide what type of social engineering tactics to use,” Ms. Migriño said.
“I urge everyone to always protect your data, uphold your right to privacy, and carefully choose the level of information you share online. To scammers, our personal information is the ultimate prize,” she added, stressing the importance of safeguarding privacy.
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