BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s largest, asked the banking public to stay vigilant against the rising threat of text or SMS hijacking scams, where fraudsters impersonate legitimate senders to trick recipients into believing the messages are authentic.
According to reports from law enforcement agencies, illegal cellular sites, also known as International mobile subscriber identity catchers, are using sender IDs of trusted brands like BDO to make scam texts appear legitimate.
The spoofed messages usually entice clients with claims of prizes won, free gifts or claims of account problems. In all these cases, the scammer instructs the client to click on a link included in the spoofed message, it said.
Once clicked, the fake link will lead to a fake website, where the victim will be instructed to enter his/her account details including username, password and One-Time PIN or OTP.
After the information was shared, the scammer will then use these bank credentials to gain access to the victim’s bank account and steal their money.
BDO said it would never send messages containing clickable links to its clients. To help avoid falling victim to SMS hijacking scams, BDO shared several important tips: never click on links, as BDO will never send links in its messages.
It said that if a message contains a link, it’s a scam. “Never share personal information via SMS; and always be cautious of unsolicited messages that offer deals that seem too good to be true. These precautions are essential in protecting oneself from fraud,” it said.
BDO also advised its clients to report and forward any suspicious messages to 22567888.
