Cops step up drive vs cybercrimes

MANILA, Philippines — The police Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) has intensified its information drive to raise public awareness about cybercrimes, an official said yesterday.

ACG director Brig. Gen. Bowenn Joey Masauding said their initiative is anchored on the ever-growing dependence of people on smart technology.

The problem, according to Masauding, is that unscrupulous individuals are using the same technology to advance their nefarious activities.

“The ACG must step up to keep with the pace of the constantly changing cybersecurity landscape since scammers and fraudsters continuously find new ways and means to outwit our cybercops,” he said in a statement.

Masauding has instructed all police units under their command to post infographic stickers in various places of convergence that contain quick response codes which, when scanned, will lead to the ACG’s Facebook page and website that showcase prevention tips against cybercrimes.

Cybercrime awareness lectures were also conducted to various force multipliers and to private business owners.

Citing studies, the police official said the human aspect has always been the factor that fraudsters capitalize on since most victims of cybercrimes were not due to the employment of a specialized tool but due mainly to the social engineering tactics of cybercriminals.