Sangal, Pamela Joy N.

BS Architecture 1-4
ITE 0001-19
Activity No.5

Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic and people losing their source of income, a lot of
people also turned into committing crimes such as online phishing and scams. The best
example to this would be the incident which happened in August just last year. It was all
over the national TV that the Landbank of the Philippines is facing some difficulties with
online scams. With this incident itself, I would dare to say that as much as the
internet/web is secured it is also vulnerable at some point and could cause problems to
its users. During the pandemic, cases of phishing has escalated so quickly as we have
been doing business and getting through our daily lives online. Nevertheless, there are a
lot of ways for us not to be a victim of this crimes. First, just like how the Landbank warns
the citizens; we avoid joining Facebook pages or any online groups that deceive users
into giving fraudsters critical information, including bank account details. Second, we
should always be mindful about what we post or share online, specially if it is something
personal and may have a connection to your financial assets such as your card number
or CVV to avoid prey on thieves. CVV number is the three-digit number on the reverse of
the card, next to the signature panel, which will be required for online or phone purchase.
Third, it is advisable to only get information from reliable sources regarding this matter
such as the bank’s official social media channels and website and other government aided
websites to avoid fake news. Fourth, it is encouraged that the public report or inform
their own customer service hotline if they found any fake or bogus social media accounts
using their bank’s name.