(ANN/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER) – Recent findings highlight the Philippines as the most vulnerable to shopping scams among 11 Asian nations, with a recorded shopping scam rate of 35.9 per cent according to the 2023 Asia Scam Report.
Executive Director Philippines’ Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Centre (CICC) Alexander K Ramos issued a cautionary note, urging the public to exercise caution while making online purchases, especially during the festive holiday season.
Although Christmas is widely celebrated across various countries, the Philippines embrace the holiday season with unparalleled fervour, beginning months before December.
However, amidst the joyous festivities akin to Thanksgiving, vigilance becomes crucial, as criminals exploit the Yuletide cheer to perpetrate online scams.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Centre referenced the Asia Scam Report presented at the 1st Anti-Scam Asia Summit in Taipei, Taiwan.
Compiled by the Global Anti Scam Alliance (GASA) and Gogolook, the report gathered data from 20,000 respondents in various Asian countries, including the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and China.
As mentioned, the Pearl of the Orient earned the highest shopping scam rate at 35.9 per cent.
Ramos urged the public to be careful when purchasing online. “Based on our observations, shopping scams usually increase during the Christmas season,” he said.
“Scammers take advantage of the high volume of online shopping and people’s vulnerability during this period,” Ramos added. This mindset makes Filipinos vulnerable to online schemes.
“Some people easily believe in false premises, even if they are too good to be true,” he explained.
Moreover, the Asia Scam Report said 24.8 per cent of Filipino victims respond too quickly to scammers’ demands, and 21.1 per cent of victims chose to take a risk despite uncertainty about the risk.
