Manila, Philippines – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has reminded the public to be more cautious of text messages they receive, especially those containing links that invite users to click.
The BSP emphasized that banks do not send text messages or emails with clickable links to their clients, in accordance with a BSP Memorandum.
According to the Central Bank, they continue to receive reports about fake text messages that appear to come from legitimate financial institutions.
This scheme known as text hijacking involves scammers inserting fake messages into legitimate text threads to make them look authentic.
These messages often contain deceptive links designed to steal access to a victim’s financial accounts. They also typically include alerts such as expiring rewards, supposed unauthorized transactions, or requests for account verification to pressure the victim into clicking the link.
To avoid falling victim to this scam, the BSP advises the public to:Avoid clicking any links sent via text or email,use multi-factor authentication to better secure accounts, never share personal or financial information with anyone.