The threat of identity theft is very real, and the consequences are more even more terrifying than what you think. “‘Yung online libel tsaka online estafa, ang pinanggagalingan talaga niyan is ‘yung computer-related identity theft (Online libel and online estafa really start with computer-related identity theft),” he told VERA Files. Ltd. All rights reserved. The Revised Penal Code sets a penalty of six months and a day to four years and two months of imprisonment or a fine of P200 to P6,000, or both, for libel, aside from a possible civil lawsuit. In a public bulletin released on March 23, the Commission appealed to netizens to “be very careful online,” and reminded them to make “trusted government and other legitimate websites” their go-to sources of information, especially on COVID-19 related topics, in order to not fall victim to misinformation. Pagdating sa pag-trace sa kanila, I would believe mas equipped itong mga law enforcement agencies natin para habulin po ito (We would need the whole of government approach for this. A popular contemporary eCommerce, most commonly done in the Philippines, is a B2C and C2C model. Peke 'yan -- hundred percent (If they ask for your details and tell you to send them online, and you do not know the identity of the person asking, don’t push through with the transaction. ), Increase your chances with 20+ banks and lenders. Facebook as the most popular social networking in the Philippines, is also the … This is followed by online scam (2,970), photo and video voyeurism (1,427), computer-related identity theft (1,263), online threat (1,187), system interference or hacking (712), unjust … Credit cards, postpaid lines, bank accounts—the world is an oyster to identity thieves when they have your information in their pockets. Jonathan Ragsag, division chief of the National Privacy Commission (NPC)’s Data Security and Technology Standards Division, said people behind the fake pages could use the personal data they illegally collect “for another purpose which is unauthorized under the law,” such as committing different crimes using stolen identities. Copyright © 2020 Vera Files. Rank & State … Identity theft statistics lays bare the … He cited a case from 2016, where a public school teacher found himself deep in debt after his identity was wrongly used to secure loans from three banks. It could even go as far as extortion, which happens when the culprit uses the illegally collected information to force its original owners into paying a sum of money by blackmailing them, he added. This modus, however, has leveled-up. Unfortunately, as far as Ragsag knows, there are no specific guidelines set for government offices when creating their official social media accounts. The top five complaints received were online scams (366), online libel (240), online threats (129), identity theft … Meanwhile, PNP-ACG’s Villaran advised netizens to be wary of “too good to be true” online giveaways and raffles with big cash prizes. Peter Locsin, 35, of Talisay City, Philippines, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of bank fraud conspiracy and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Many times, these impostors require interested netizens to “like” their pages and affiliate accounts to generate following. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @ecomparemo. Updated on 5.8.2020: Post updated to address the surge of fake Facebook accounts in the Philippines, which is a form of Identity theft.. We saw in the initial statistics that credit card fraud is the form of identity theft that … Identity theft is one of the most common outcomes from data breaches. All Rights Reserved. While seemingly harmless, posts like these that phish personal information can actually be dangerous. The distribution of the subsidy started in April and is ongoing in some places. Of the total identity theft reports, the top type in 2018 was credit card fraud (with 157,688). Computer-related identity theft is punishable under R.A. 10175 by six years and a day to 12 years of imprisonment, with a minimum fine of P200,000. For example, not all official FB pages and Twitter accounts of these public institutions have “blue” checks. Consider these identity theft statistics: In 2019, 14.4 million consumers became victims of identity fraud — that’s about 1 in 15 people Overall, 33 percent of U.S. adults have experienced identity theft … Refrain from using public wireless networks. 10175, Sept. 12, 2012, Australian Cyber Security Centre, Like farming, March 6, 2020, Better Business Bureau, BBB Tip: Like-Farming is a Facebook scam still going strong, June 10, 2020, Macmillan Dictionary, Like-farming, May 7, 2018, GMA News Online, Public school teacher in debt because of identity theft, Feb. 26, 2016, The Official Gazette Act No. Use alphanumeric characters as well as symbols for creating strong passwords. In February 2018, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) announced that a draft “Administrative Order (AO) on Social Media Use of the Government” was already in its last round of public consultations, which included discussions on “dealing with trolls and fake pages.”. He also warned about stolen identities being used to apply for bank loans. 11469, March 24, 2020, Philippine Information Agency, DSWD starts distribution of cash aid under Social Amelioration Program, April 5, 2020, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Home page, accessed on Dec. 4, 2020, The Official Gazette, Republic Act No. Keep your government-issued numbers like SSS and TIN away from everyone. However, criminals have evolved with the times. Shred bank statements and various papers that have information about you before you dispose of them. Data from the Philippine National Police - Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) obtained by VERA Files revealed that computer-related identity theft ranks third in terms of the number of cybercrime cases handled by the ACG from January to October this year. Penalties for Committing Identity Theft. Of course, it will take some time and effort to prove that you haven’t done the things accused to you. Do not write down any of your passwords, especially bank accounts, email, and social media login credentials. Let’s think of the worst-case scenarios. Sila ba ay potential terrorist (They would pretend to be another person, would get a fake passport using someone else’s identity, would be able to get out of the country, and then we will never know who they are. The Philippine Statistics Authority attributed April’s record unemployment to the “COVID-19 economic shutdown,” after community lockdowns were imposed across cities and municipalities in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. Typical online scams come in the form of fake giveaways and raffles done by accounts on social media, often pretending to be official accounts and pages of public figures to create an impression of legitimacy. In line with the first one, identity theft can go further by using the said documents and identifying details to open accounts under your name. Most of them were by FB pages and accounts posing as prominent personalities and businesses, such as Senator Manny Pacquiao, game show host Willie Revillame, and even the hardware and software company Hewlett Packard (HP). Ragsag said this lack of policy “could be a room for improvement” in the future. The threat is real, and almost all Filipinos are afraid of having their information used without their authorization. Sources: Department of Justice, Rappler, Credit.com, Unisys, Malware Bytes, NCPC, (This article was originally posted in November 2017 and updated on June 9, 2020. In what ways can identity theft damage you and how can you protect your your personal information online? DSWD starts distribution of cash aid under Social Amelioration Program, BBB Tip: Like-Farming is a Facebook scam still going strong, Public school teacher in debt because of identity theft, NPC PHE BULLETIN No. When it comes to tracing them, I believe these law enforcement agencies are more equipped to go after these people),” Ragsag said. A copy of your FTC Identity Theft Report; A government-issued ID with a photo; Proof of your address (mortgage statement, rental agreement, or utilities bill) Any other proof you have of the theft—bills, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) notices, etc. The bogus raffle includes an instruction that asks for the personal details of netizens. They can use your accounts to steal your benefits and leave you paying for them. Once a scammer has your sensitive details, they can resort to various cybercrimes. Vera is Latin for “true.”. Worse, your name might end up implicated in various criminal activities and cause you massive inconvenience in the future. “So parang talon-talon na (So, it’s like it’s jumping [from one crime to another]),” Villaran said. 10. In the Philippines, cases of these thefts are all the rage. Ragsag said a person who collects the data could use it to pretend to be another person and commit a crime. 3815, s. 1930, Dec. 8, 1930, National Privacy Commission, NPC PHE BULLETIN No. The indictment was … IdentityTheft.gov is the federal government’s one-stop resource for identity theft victims. Identity theft has become one of the main scourges of the modern Internet era, posing challenges for consumers and law enforcement alike. Did you know? Report your complaint to the Department of Justice by emailing cybercrime@doj.gov.ph. To help people who lost their jobs due to restrictive quarantine protocols, the government promised to provide 18 million low-income households with monthly cash assistance worth P5,000 to P8,000 for two months, under the Bayanihan To Heal As One Act. Identity theft statistics by state. In fact, it’s the biggest fear of Filipinos in terms of their security along with natural disasters. Report lost or stolen IDs and banking cards like ATM and credit cards. 4: Protecting personal data in the time of COVID-19, Policy on Government’s Social Media Use undergoes Final Consultation, DICT urges gov’t agencies to use social media to promote programs. The second page easily convinced Filipino netizens to give their personal data, receiving over 3,600 comments in just two days after its spurious post was published. The instances of malicious PowerShell scripts attacks went up by 1,000% in 2019. According to a press release from the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG), a total of 1,211 cybercrime complaints were filed with them from 2013-2015. The Philippine Statistics Authority attributed April’s record unemployment to the “COVID-19 economic shutdown,” after community lockdowns were imposed across cities and municipalities in an attempt to contain the spread of the virus. According to the Department of Justice’s 2014 annual cybercrime report, nine percent of the cases their agency handled were about people whose identities were misused by criminals. Poseurs can use your fake Facebook account to extort money from your contacts or engage in malicious activities that may implicate you. New account fraud occurs when a thief opens a credit card or other financial account using a victims name and other stolen personal information. What harm can Facebook posers do to you? Because of that, the birth certificate can open the door to other Philippine identity … Victims of Identity Theft, 2014 17.6 MILLION U.S. Identity Theft … According to the Javelin study, account takeovers tripled in 2017 from 2016, and losses totaled $5.1 billion. 4: Protecting personal data in the time of COVID-19, March 23, 2020, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Policy on Government’s Social Media Use undergoes Final Consultation, Feb. 7, 2018, Philippine News Agency, DICT urges gov’t agencies to use social media to promote programs, Feb. 5, 2018, (Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. Some of these crimes go undetected for a very long time. The Federal Trade Commission's Consumer Sentinel Network Report stated that identity theft … According to the 2017 Unisys Security Index, 93 percent of Filipinos are concerned about identity theft. Fortunately, you can lower the risks of criminals misusing your personal details. Another described herself as a solo parent with a child suffering from a heart condition, while a third one said he is an overseas Filipino worker “stranded” for five months in an accommodation in Pasay City and has not received any form of assistance. The first and second are imposter scams (18%) and debt collection (16%), respectively. The DSWD and DOLE do not share a singular page on FB. (Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. “Magpapanggap na sila, magpagawa ng passport [using] identity nila, and then makalabas ng bansa, and then hindi natin alam ano ba sila. Unemployment rate hit a peak in April, recording 17.7 percent or 7.3 million jobless Filipinos. Unsurprisingly, the birth certificate is the document of choice for foreign fraudsters because it shows both identity and nationality. Last May, VERA Files Fact Check (VFFC) flagged two fake Facebook (FB) pages: one pretending to be a Social Amelioration Program (SAP) updates page, the other posing as the official “interagency” page of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). In the old days, identity theft was merely confined to the thieves creating credit cards under your name and maxing them out, leaving you with a heaping pile of debts you don’t even know about. It’s fake — one hundred percent).”, Philippine Statistics Office, Employment Situation in April 2020, June 5, 2020, Philippine Statistics Office, Employment Situation in October 2020, Dec. 3, 2020, The Official Gazette, Republic Act No. By October, it went down to 8.7 percent—equivalent to 3.8 million unemployed individuals—which was still 1.8 million more than the same period last year. In other words, identity theft. Identity thieves can get your important documents without your consent. In fact, it’s the biggest fear of Filipinos in terms of their security along with … (Federal Trade Commission) According to identity theft statistics from 2018, identity theft cases made up 14.85% of all cases reported with the FTC, hence taking third place right behind imposter scams (17.88%) and debt collection (15.88%). The suspect got the victim’s personal information from his Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) identification card, which he posted on FB. Is identity theft common? This is an asset they could later on use to earn money, either by removing all their prior posts and replacing them with promotional content, or by selling the pages to new owners who would use them in other purposes. ‘Identity theft’: Young woman’s photos stolen, used on dating app. Following the introduction of microchip equipped credit cards in 2015 in the United States, which make the cards difficult to counterfeit, criminals focused on new account fraud. Identity theft … RESIDENTS EXPERIENCED IDENTITY THEFT IN 2014 : Press Release Part of the Identity Theft Series: Victims of Identity Theft, 2014 Presents findings on the prevalence and nature of identity theft from the 2014 Identity Theft … Credit Card Fraud Statistics. RA 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 punishes the creation of accounts using someone else’s identity. Identity theft, it has happened before, it’ll happen again. How many Americans are victims of identity theft each year? How To Protect Yourself From Identity Theft. SEN. Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos wants the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) to explain how a foreign firm hounded … In a nutshell, stolen identities pertains to the intentional use of one’s personal details, usually for monetary gain or criminal activities at the expense of the victim. Are they potential terrorists)?” Ragsag said in a phone interview with VERA Files. MANILA— A woman whose photos were featured on a “sugar daddy” dating site has come forward to report that her images were used without her consent, and that she was never a member of the platform that has seen a rise in sign-ups in the Philippines. Product information shown on the website of eCompareMo may change at any time without prior notice to keep all rates updated. Fraudulent credit card and banking activities can hurt your credit score and inflict some damages that can last for a long time. They can hijack your identity by getting access to your information first. Scammers saw an opportunity to take advantage of this government response to the pandemic. Villaran said identity theft could turn into online libel when a culprit hides his or her real identity by using a stolen one, and uses it to defame other people. Aside from the financial damage it can possibly cause you, having your identity stolen can also damage your reputation. The site provides streamlined checklists and sample letters to guide you through the recovery process. The … ©2020 C88 Financial Technologies Pte. This will reduce identity theft… Beef up your password game. Based on input from over 6,500 consumers and 650 businesses worldwide, we developed an understanding of the complicated relationship people and businesses have with identity. However, the number of engagements received by the impostor pages strongly suggests the inability of many Filipino social media users to differentiate legitimate pages and accounts from bogus ones. A breach in your security online can result in the following: (Read: What Filipino Cardholders Can Learn From The Equifax Hack In The US). Identity theft is a cybercrime and not one that should be taken it lightly. Since January, VFFC has flagged 12 fake online giveaways. Credit card fraud. People were quick to look up their names and found dubious namesakes on the social media platform. Founded in March 2008, VERA Files is published by veteran Filipino journalists taking a deeper look into current Philippine issues. Just recently, social media was abuzz with the proliferation of fake Facebook accounts. Another possibility of a crime Villaran mentioned is when the culprit hacks someone’s social media account using the data he or she stole, and then victimizes the account owner's friends and followers. According to the 2017 Unisys Security Index, 93 percent of Filipinos are concerned about identity theft. Many netizens who took the bait said they were in a “no work, no pay” employment status due to the pandemic. They’re unsecure and hackers might just gain access to your device. Identity theft also plays a big role on cyber harassment. Disclaimer: All offers and product applications on eCompareMo.com represent current product data and does not bind the applicants before the contract has been signed and applied. Most of the time, identity thieves pose as their victims by obtaining sensitive information such as names, social security numbers, identity cards, and credit card information. But enough about near-future technophobic episodes; there are actual real threats we have to worry about—like fake accounts and stolen identities. On NPC's part, Ragsag said the Commission will act on any complaint filed by a netizen who may have been a victim of unauthorized processing of data. Don’t be surprised if, in the future, an artificial intelligence can create a simulacrum of us a la Black Mirror. In this culture of oversharing, we put a scary amount of data out there and, sometimes we forget that some things are better hidden from public eyes and the cloud. Stop yourself from oversharing on social media. In 2019, the number of SMS fraud or text scam incidents in the Philippines was highest for those in region 3, amounting to approximately 3.5 million victims. As for the tracing and arrest of individuals or groups behind the fake FB pages, he said apprehending them will need a “whole of government approach” that would involve the PNP, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Justice. If you’re scared of Social Security System (SSS) employees taking a salary loan using your name, then you should be equally afraid of identity thieves. The idea for Experian’s 2020 Global Identity and Fraud Report was to explore such insight. Of your passwords, identity theft philippines statistics bank accounts, email, and relationships 16 % ) Increase. Will ask you to hand over your sensitive information not write down any of your passwords especially. Offices when creating their official social media platform social media was abuzz with the FTC in 2018 of identity,... Use alphanumeric characters as well as emails from unverified sources shred bank statements and papers! 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