BDO Unibank Inc. said it strongly supports the call of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to stay vigilant against scammers who devised a new modus operandi by offering a huge amount of money to people who would lend their bank accounts.
Once recruited, these “money mules” allow the scammers to use their personal bank accounts to receive cash deposits or online transfers from illegal sources posing as legitimate transactions such as charity or Covid-19 donations, among others.
In the Philippines, mules can be prosecuted under Republic Act 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act, with imprisonment of up to seven years and penalty of up to P3 million.
“Do not let other people use your bank account, debit card or credit card to make transactions on their behalf. Never provide your personal and account details to anyone,” BDO said in a statement.
BDO advises clients and the public to ignore suspicious calls, emails, private messages and website links offering easy cash via the use of their own bank account.