In an era where mobile phones are considered to be essential in one’s daily life, communication, banking, and errands are made more convenient, but this has also opened up for dangerous scams to spread.
 
The National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) Region 1 is now campaigning for the proper reporting of suspicious text scams to the agency so proper action can be taken to prevent scammers from victimizing Ilocanos, especially scams involving money.
 
Lawyer Ana Minelle Maningding, legal officer of NTC Region 1, shared some safety tips on how to avoid being a victim of text scams which mostly contain fake job offers, promises of cash and other rewards, fake winners in a contest, as well as hyperlinks that often direct users to suspicious websites.
 
To avoid falling victim to these scams, Maningding stated that the best approach is to do these four simple steps: Block, Ignore, Report, and Delete or BIRD.
 
Simply put, block the number, ignore the message, report to the NTC, and then delete the message and contact number.
 
In reporting a text scam to the NTC, the public is advised to visit their website at NTC.gov.ph or call their consumer hotline at 1682.
 
Complainants will need to provide their complete name, address, email, contact number, a photo of their government-issued ID, and a screenshot of the text scam message with the sender’s mobile number so the NTC can take proper action.
 
Once reported, the NTC will directly endorse the case to the telecommunication companies concerned and they will block the reported scammer’s number.
 
If doubtful that the message came from a legitimate website, NTC advised the public to visit the official website or social media platform or contact their landline or official phone number of the agency and confirm the legitimacy of the text message.
 
“Ang number one advice namin ay do not engage. Huwag po nating papatulan at huwag i-click ang link na na-send,” Maningding said.
 
Whenever we are clicking away on our mobile phones, may NTC’s advice remain as a guiding voice for our safety.
 
Remember to block, ignore, report, and delete suspicious text scams! (JCR/AMB/EJFG, PIA Ilocos Norte)