Tech Know

Here are “SecuriTips” for 2022, a year where text message scams are increasingly making their rounds Any mobile phone user in the Philippines can easily name the one unusual text activity that’s cropped up in 2022: spam SMS messages. In 2021 alone, Globe blocked over 1.15B scam and spam messages . These activities have become more prevalent in 2022. Random, persistent, and sent by unknown numbers, these messages make unsolicited offers related to products, services, promos, and job openings. In some cases, these scammers claim users have won contests or giveaways they haven’t even entered. And while many are privy to these schemes, there are still individuals that fall prey to them. What are users in for when they do fall for SMS scams? For one, these deceitful messages are used by scammers to lure SMS recipients into disclosing sensitive information. One common instance is to get individuals to provide a one-time password to one of their accounts, after which the scammer will proceed with an unauthorized online transition (a subscription, account registration, or money transfer). Another example would be to straightforwardly acquire a user’s personal data like their birthday, address, and bank account number. Daunting as these encounters might be, there are safeguards that mobile phone users can turn to. Globe, for its part as a service provider, is working on doubling down on  anti-spam efforts . Users, on their end, can also opt to activate their SMS spam filters . In addition, they best keep the “SecuriTips” ahead in mind. Check the SMS for inconsistencies. There are three things to question when receiving text messages: the source, the format, and the message itself. Is the sender using a random, private mobile number? Are there spelling and grammatical errors? Does the text include unusual links? These are red flags to watch out for as they typically point to spam and scam messages.