The Social Security System (SSS) on Monday urged members, pensioners, and employers to secure their login credentials on the My.SSS portal and other personal information to protect their accounts from fraudulent transactions.
SSS president and CEO Michael G. Regino issued the reminder following several complaints from SSS members that their accounts with the My.SSS were being hacked by scammers and other unscrupulous persons.
One of the reasons why such fraudulent transactions occur, SSS insiders noted, was the tendency of some members to share their login credentials with unauthorized persons. These login information, Regino noted, should be kept confidential by accountholders to protect themselves from scammers.
Regino likened the SSS login credentials to the Personal Identification Number (PIN) that bank depositors use to access their accounts at the Automated Teller Machines (ATM). An ATM card PIN is a multi-digit number required at bank ATMs for carrying out transactions and is initially provided by the banks. This PIN can be reset or changed to a new PIN by the card owner but is kept as a strictly confidential information by the user.
“We have asked our stakeholders not to share their usernames, passwords, and other login details on their My.SSS accounts to unauthorized individuals. Giving your username and password to another person is like sharing your ATM PIN,” Regino said. “Anyone with this information could use your My.SSS account to avail of monetary benefits without your authorization.”
The SSS chief cited a case wherein a member sought the assistance of another person while trying to create and access his My.SSS account on the Internet. It turned out that the person from whom the SSS member sought for help is a fixer and scammer who later drew a salary loan from the account without his knowledge.
Regino also advised members not to entertain unofficial online groups in various platforms, like Facebook, that allegedly offer easier access to SSS online accounts and provided technical assistance for a fee to loan-seekers.