THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has reiterated its warning against individuals posing as Secretary Rex Gatchalian and soliciting money supposedly as donations to foundations.
In a social media post on Feb. 14, Gatchalian clarified that he has not authorized anybody to conduct any form of monetary solicitation on his behalf.
“I would like to clarify that I am not and I have never asked or solicited any amount for the alleged donation to any foundation. Be careful of those pretending to be Rex Gatchalian, especially on Signal and WhatsApp where they use my photo, name, and even contact number to cheat,” the post stated.
The DSWD said scammers have been sending out messages through platforms such as Signal and WhatsApp, sometimes posing as the Secretary’s aide. In some cases, the impostor introduces himself as “Emman,” claiming to be a staff member of Gatchalian.
According to reports received by the department, the fraudsters ask for large sums of money, claiming their accounts have reached transfer limits.
One message read: “Maxed out na my account’s limit and my staff’s account for the fund transfers sa Foundation, perhaps you can do me a favor, will send it back na lang to your account later (midnight) transferred 950k na for them. Just send me the details.”
DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao stressed that neither the department nor Gatchalian solicits funds for any foundation or authorizes representatives to request money through private messaging applications. Maricel V. Cruz
“The Department, and especially DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian, is not soliciting any amount for donations to foundations. In this day and age when many are using technology to cheat and defraud, let’s be careful of the Secretary’s imposters, especially on the Signal and WhatsApp applications, where his photo, name, and contact number are used,” Dumlao said.
The DSWD urged the public to verify suspicious messages, avoid sending money, and report fraudulent accounts to authorities or through the agency’s official communication channels, including its Facebook page @dswdserves and its field offices.
“Always remember, when you receive such a message requesting money or funds using the name of our Secretary or anyone in the department, please notify the official DSWD Facebook account, @dswdserves, or our field offices so that immediate action can be taken,” Dumlao said.
