Scam Watch Pilipinas and Citizen Crime Watch Internationale (CCWI) have launched a groundbreaking partnership to enlist 1.3 million CCWI members into the Volunteer Watcher Program, jumpstarting a nationwide network of scam prevention at the community level.
Scam Watch Pilipinas Co-Founder Jocel de Guzman said the partnership with CCWI seeks to foster grassroots education among Filipinos by advancing online behavioral change, digital and financial literacy, and cyber hygiene, delivered through a concise and accessible learning module.
“Scam Watch Pilipinas has been spearheading anti-scam awareness campaigns since July 2023, significantly improving public understanding of online fraud. Despite these efforts, many individuals are still reluctant to report scams to the anti-scam hotline 1326 due to skepticism about enforcement outcomes. The partnership will prioritize prevention by teaching communities how to recognize early warning signs of cyber fraud and misinformation, including fake news,” De Guzman revealed.
CCWI Founder and Chairperson Mitch Botor stated that the organization, recognized for its longstanding commitment to combating crime and corruption, is now broadening its advocacy to address cybercrime.
“CCWI has been dedicated to the fight against crime and corruption. Today, we are taking the next step by tackling cybercrime. Our 1.3 million members will learn how to detect and prevent cyber threats and train our NGO partners, creating a ripple effect that will reach 14 million Filipinos nationwide,” Botor said.
Scam Watch Pilipinas earned global recognition as the Top 2 best anti-scam campaign in the world by the Netherlands-based Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), following the success of its three major seasonal initiatives: #HolidayWatchPH on Christmas scams, #UnmatchPH on love scams, and #OnlineBantayLakbay on travel scams.
De Guzman stated that CCWI members will be equipped with Whoscall, an anti-scam application developed by Gogolook, the leading global trust-tech company and technology convenor of Scam Watch Pilipinas.
“With Whoscall app, CCWI members can identify unknown callers, block spam and fraudulent calls, filter unwanted SMS messages, search phone numbers for suspicious activity, access caller information offline, and detect fraudulent content on social media through the Content Checker feature,” De Guzman said.
CCWI, registered as Citizens Crime Watch Internationale Unified Force and Anti-Crime and Corruption Inc., is a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to empowering communities by disseminating information on crime prevention and the justice system, educating citizens on personal protection, home security, crime reporting, environmental awareness, and socio-economic development, and fostering active citizen participation in preventing and resolving criminal activities.