As the country’s national volunteer arm dedicated to online scam awareness, the organization emphasized the importance of vigilance in protecting personal data and financial security online.
In a statement, Scam Watch Pilipinas co-founder Jocel De Guzman highlighted the significance of Safer Internet Day as an opportunity to reinforce these proactive behaviors.
Safer Internet Day is observed every second Tuesday of February under Presidential Proclamation No. 417, which designates the event as an annual reminder to promote digital safety, particularly for children.
“This Safer Internet Day, on behalf of Scam Watch Pilipinas, we encourage all Filipinos to adopt four key attitudes to avoid falling victim to scams,” he said, advising internet users to be stingy with their personal information, be suspicious of offers, ignore suspicious messages, and report fraud attempts.
He added that while these actions may seem basic, many internet users fail to apply them consistently, making them vulnerable to cyber threats.
Four key attitudes to avoid online scams
Be stingy
Scam Watch Pilipinas advises Filipinos to protect their personal information by avoiding unnecessary data sharing online or on social media.
De Guzman warned that scammers use personal details to guess passwords or manipulate individuals through social engineering, fabricating stories to extract money.
“Always protect your personal information online and exercise your right to privacy,” De Guzman said.
Be suspicious
People should remain skeptical of offers that seem “too good to be true”, particularly those received via messages, emails, or social media.
Scammers often impersonate legitimate businesses to deceive users.
“Using anti-scam tools can also help, as some have the capability to detect incoming scam calls and texts,” De Guzman noted.
Ignore suspicious messages
The organization urges Filipinos to save contacts of family and friends to easily filter unknown calls and texts.
De Guzman likened this to the childhood lesson of avoiding strangers, emphasizing the same principle applies online.
He advised users to ignore threatening messages claiming to be from banks, financial institutions, or e-commerce platforms if no pending transactions exist.
Report
Scam Watch Pilipinas is also pushing for stronger reporting habits. The public is encouraged to report scam incidents to the Inter-Agency Response Center (I-ARC) via hotline 1326 or through designated numbers for Smart (0947-714-7105), Globe (0966-976-5971), and DITO (0991-481-4225).
While recovering lost money can be difficult, De Guzman stressed that reporting scams helps authorities track fraudulent activities and improve anti-scam measures.
With online fraud cases on the rise, Scam Watch Pilipinas continues to push for stronger digital literacy and awareness, urging Filipinos to be vigilant against cyberfraud as a daily habit.
