QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) warns the public of another online scam called ‘whaling phishing’ or ‘whaling’ which targets high-profile employees or executives.

According to BSP, the ‘whaling’ cyberattack tries to gain access to the sensitive data of high-profile employees. The targets of this scam are the whales as they are the ‘biggest fish in the sea’ with the most valuable information.

How it works? Cyber criminals will send an email that appears to come from an official source. Email may contain links that lead to seemingly legitimate websites where information can be collected.

Victims will be then asked to share sensitive information or tasked to authorize a money transfer to a bank account.

To protect yourself from whaling, always verify both the sender’s email address and name before responding or following instructions. Never provide sensitive information to a suspicious sender.

Always verify the authenticity of a website by checking its web address or properties. Also, scan attachments for viruses even if the sender is someone familiar to you.

If your bank or financial institution is not able to address your complaint, you can send a message to the BSP using the BSP Online Buddy (BOB) through the following:

• Click on the BOB icon on the BSP website (www.bsp.gov.ph)
• Chat on BSP Facebook Messenger (https://www.m.me/BangkoSentralngPilipinas/)
• For Globe subscribers, text 21582277 (charges apply)

For more information about the BSP Consumer Assistance Mechanism, visit: https://bit.ly/BSPCAM

For a step-by-step guide on contacting BOB and other information about the BSP Consumer Assistance Mechanism, visit: https://bit.ly/BSPCAM. (BSP/PIA-NCR)