Customers of the Land Bank of the Philippines have been warned of an online scam using Google Ads which lead to a fake phishing website.
In a statement, the state-run bank clarified that it has not placed any ads on Google and that it is working with the global technology firm to immediately bring down the misleading ads. It also advised customers to go directly to the Landbank official website.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Friday meanwhile warned the public, particularly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) against a modus operandi in the sending and processing of balikbayan boxes.
In a Facebook post, the BOC reminded Filipinos working abroad who are planning to send balikbayan boxes to their loved ones back home, to be cautious against the modus of freight forwarders including in the countries they are currently employed.
“Based on the BOC reports received from OFWs, there are consolidators or international freight forwarders abroad charging processing fees at a low rate and promising to deliver the balikbayan boxes in ultimate consignees in the Philippines. But in fact, their partner deconsolidators or local freight forwarders here in the Philippines received no funds to process and release from the BOC the said balikbayan boxes,” the bureau said.
In a related development, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Friday called on the Department of Trade and Industry and other concerned government regulatory agencies to compel all online delivery services firms to adopt more stringent measures prior to processing shipment of goods by online sellers.
Barbers made the statement in light of the continuing rise of “budol-budol” online selling scams victimizing mostly low-income consumers,
The latest modus of online budol, Barbers said, is by targeting houses with people whose only shopping behavior is to receive and pay cash on delivery (COD) parcels. The scammer would review previous records from target’s FB and other social media accounts, steal the personal data, and send them with low-value or worthless item.
Once the item/s had been delivered, mostly by bike-riding delivery men, the latter are instructed not to allow opening of the package, usually on COD basis, unless payment had been made by the unsuspecting would-be victims. If the package was opened before the delivery man leaves and was rejected, the victim would be required to pay RTS (return to sender) fees.
To prevent occurrence of such scams and protect online buyers, Barbers said the DOT and other concerned offices should compel all online delivery service firms in the country to thoroughly check the identity of all online sellers transacting business with them, requiring the latter to produce valid documents such as government issued identification cards so that consumers can get back at them if necessary.
The legislator from Mindanao said majority of the victims, some of whom he knew personally, had been duped by amounts ranging from P100 to P5,000 and would just opt to “charge them to experience’ rather than report and pursue a refund or file a case against the bogus sellers.