PNP-ACG Acting Director Brigadier General Bernard Yang underscored the importance of online safety as travel scams become more prevalent on social media platforms.
“To combat deceptive online scams, educating Filipinos about travel scams is a practical step towards building online safety awareness and the ability to detect manipulation,” Yang said.
Scam Watch Pilipinas co-founder Jocel de Guzman echoed the call for vigilance, highlighting the group’s seasonal campaigns aimed at educating the public.
“We previously released the ‘12 Scams of Christmas’ and ‘8 Love Scam Profiles’ for Valentine’s, and now we're highlighting the ‘14 Travel Scams’ for summer,” he said.
The “14 Travel Scams” campaign outlines the most common schemes targeting summer travelers. These include fake hotel bookings at extremely low prices, bogus flight and tour deals, and counterfeit travel agents who vanish after payment. Other threats include unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots used to steal personal data, ‘free’ vacations with hidden charges, and overpriced “exclusive” tours.
Travelers are also warned against fake SIM cards, the resale of lost luggage on social media, fake taxis, and charity scams. Other alarming scams involve hidden CCTV cameras in accommodations, counterfeit money exchanges, and fixers at transport terminals promising VIP treatment.
The PNP-ACG urges victims and potential targets to report scams immediately through the National Anti-Scam Hotline 1326 or the PNP-ACG Hotline at 17 or (02) 8722-0650.
Whoscall, an anti-scam app, reported a notable shift in scam tactics in the Philippines: SMS scams dropped by 68.3 percent in the first quarter of 2025, from over 2 million cases to 648,239, while scam calls increased significantly.
The agencies emphasize that public awareness and timely reporting remain critical to curbing fraud and protecting summer travelers. —Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
