NTC orders text blasts to warn vs scams

MANILA, Philippines - The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has called on telco firms Smart Communications, Digitel Mobile Philippines, Inc. (Sun Cellular) and Globe Telecom, Inc. to send a text blast warning subscribers to beware of scam text messages.

In a memorandum dated Sept. 4, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba directed the telcos to send text messages from Sept. 8 to 22, to warn their respective subscribers of proliferating text scams. 

In particular, the telcos are asked to send the following text messages: 

“BABALA! Pag nakatanggap ng txt na ikaw ay nanalo sa raffle at hinihingan ng pera o load, ito ay isang SCAM. Wag maniwala! (WARNING! If you receive a text saying you won in a raffle or asking for money or load, it’s a SCAM. Don’t believe it!) and “BABALA! Kung ang txt ay mula sa taong nagpapanggap na kamag-anak/kaibigan at humingi ng pera/load, ito ay SCAM. Wag maniwala! (WARNING! If the text is from someone pretending to be a relative or friend and asked for money or load, it’s a SCAM. Don’t believe it!)”.

To prevent individuals from being duped to share their load, the NTC has asked Globe to send this text message to its subscribers: “BABALA! Kung ang txt ay nagsabi na mag txt sa numerong nagsisimula sa ‘2’ at hindi ’09’, ito’y NAKAW-LOAD SCAM! Wag maniwala! (WARNING! if the text says you should send a text message to a number starting with ‘2’ and not ’09’, it’s a STEAL LOAD SCAM! Don’t believe it!)”.

For Smart subscribers, the text message should read: “BABALA! Kung ang txt ay nagsabi na mag txt sa numerong ‘808’, ito’y NAKAW-LOAD SCAM! Wag maniwala! (WARNING! If the text says you should send a text message to the number ‘808’, it’s a STEAL LOAD SCAM! Don’t believe it!)”

As for Sun subscribers, the text message from their service provider should state: “BABALA! Kung ang txt ay nagsabi na mag txt sa numerong ‘2292’, ito’y NAKAW-LOAD SCAM! Wag maniwala! (WARNING! If the text says you should send a text message to the number ‘2292’, it’s a STEAL LOAD SCAM! Don’t believe it!)”.

The NTC issued the memorandum following recommendations made during the public hearing on text scams of the Senate Committee on Public Services chaired by Sen. Cynthia Villar held on Sept. 2. 

During the hearing, Villar scolded the NTC for failing to curb the text scams which have victimized subscribers and the senator’s foundation. 

The Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (SIPAG) Foundation has been used by unscrupulous individuals and groups to perpetuate their illegal activities.

Sen. Villar said one group has acquired P100 million in accumulated loads which were supposedly converted into cash via wire transfer. 

“The text scam proliferates because it is resold through the telcos and we are not doing anything about it. The NTC should know how to address this to prevent this practice,” Villar said.