MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Finance (DOF) has warned the public to be on guard against bogus emails seeking personal information from unsuspecting individuals.
The DOF said scammers are sending emails to potential victims disguised as official correspondence from the agency using the email address [email protected].
The emails, purportedly coming from DOF employees, request individuals to provide sensitive information to facilitate the transfer of funds through a spurious investment scheme to so-called beneficiaries or for the investigation of fraudulent companies.
“The DOF would like to clarify that these letters are bogus and the DOF representatives are likewise fictitious,” the department said.
“Evidently, this is a type of scam to elicit information and funds from individuals by unlawfully using the name of the Department of Finance. Solicitation of such information in writing, accompanied by a promise of compensation, is a hallmark of an attempted scam,” the DOF added.
Phishing is a scam that is typically carried out with the help of unsolicited email to lure in potential victims and prompt them to provide valuable personal and financial information.
“The public is advised to be highly cautious of such notices, especially from entities and individuals claiming to transact on behalf of Philippine government agencies. Verification of official and legitimate activities can be done through the DOF website: http://www.dof.gov.ph/,rdquo; the DOF said.
Just last month, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) issued a warning against phishing scams and advised the public to always review bank and credit card statements for their protection against unscrupulous entities.
The BSP, likewise, advised bank depositors to routinely change passwords and PINs.
Read more on The Philippine Star