ABM Group2 Chapter1 5 Revised

University of Perpetual Help System Pangasinan- JONELTA
Basic Education Department- Senior High School

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Level of Awareness in SMS Spam and Phishing of Grade 7 and Grade 8 Students
of University of Perpetual Help System - Pangasinan S.Y. 2022-2023
A Research Presented to the Faculty of the Senior High School

University of Perpetual Help System - Pangasinan
Malasiqui, Pangasinan
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject

Inquiries, Investigation and Immersion
Researchers
Myka Gabrielle A. Nartates

Chelsea Ann E. Abalos
Avril Leia E. Mangaliag
Airish Mae C. Macam
Marianne L. Manaois
Kaye Alexa A. Pablo
Kyla R. Ballesteros
ABM 12 - EMERALD
May 2023
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Chapter 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING
Introduction
With the growing necessity of smartphones in today’s society, humans have
become more dependent on modern technology. From using one's device to stay
organized to contacting someone with a few taps. Smartphones are known for their
accessibility, which unfortunately makes them vulnerable to cybercriminals who use it to
their advantage, which is why mobile users might be more susceptible to the security
concerns posed by smartphones. Moreover, people use their smartphones frequently
while they are outside and read text messages when they are on the go. Therefore,
people are more likely to click on harmful links and respond to SMS (Short Message
Service) messages without hesitation.
The Philippines has been dubbed as the "texting capital of the world" because
of the massive daily volume of its text messages or SMS (Lambert et. al, 2007). SMS
or text message, is one of the most reliable methods for people to communicate with
one another. Nowadays, various apps require a cellphone number before people can
sign up for their accounts. According to Leandro Aguirre (2022), the National Privacy
Commission's deputy privacy commissioner, scammers may have manually or
mechanically stolen names from certain apps. As a result, it is now easier for fraudsters
to obtain and use cell phone numbers.This puts privacy in a vulnerable position, as cell
phone numbers play a key role in unlocking personal information. As per, Globe
Telecom Inc.'s chief information security officer, Anton Bonificacio, from January to July
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2022, Globe blocked 784 million scam and spam messages, deactivated 14,058 SIM
cards associated with scams, blacklisted 8,973 SIM cards, and restricted 610 domains
or URLs. Hence, SMS is not the safest way to communicate due to the different spam
and phishing text messages that people receive every day.
Spam and phishing text messages have been around for a long time, however,
as the internet advanced, they became more rampant and detrimental to our society.
Spamming is the act of sending mass unsolicited commercial messages to users of
digital communications without their explicit consent or intent. (Chabra, 2005). The
most common form of spam is email spam. Additionally, spammers exploit other
mediums to execute their attacks such as Voice over IP (VoIP), Short Message Service
(SMS) and, Instant Messaging (IM) (Gupta et al., 2015) Meanwhile, phishing has been
described as a semantic attack where victims are tricked into giving out their personal
information to an illegitimate site (Downs et. al, 2006).
Spam and phishing related text messages are again dominating the headlines
and have become more widespread. Now, a new mode has emerged, which has made
people concerned and alarmed, as text messages have become more personal,
including the full name of the cell phone number owner.Consequently, it is apparent that
a serious invasion of privacy is taking place with this type of text message.
According to Alkhalil et. al (2021), cybercriminals typically prey on people who
lack digital cyber ethics, and each person has a different susceptibility to phishing and
spamming depending on their characteristics and level of awareness. Students are

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therefore vulnerable to spam and phishing attacks. Although most students are
knowledgeable about the digital world, cybercriminals may still prey on their innocent,
unsuspecting, and young minds.
Considering the widespread and significance of spam and phishing attacks, the
researchers want to conduct this research paper to understand the level of awareness
of Grade 7 and Grade 8 students when it comes to SMS spam and phishing attacks. As
it would greatly help the students understand their susceptibility to SMS spamming and
phishing.
Theoretical Framework
This study was anchored on the Technology Threat Avoidance Theory (TTAT)
proposed by Liang and Xu (2009). Technology Threat Avoidance Theory states that
people's perceptions of how susceptible they are and how serious these risks are affect
their awareness of the threats, which in turn affects their motivation and behavior to
avoid them. The fact that avoidable cyber incidents still happen raises the question of
why people do not take precautions to prevent security threats. In order to better
understand how users behave in the presence of a threat, what motivates them, how
they respond to threats, and how protections, costs, and concerns affect those
motivations and behaviors, a technology threat avoidance theory was employed. .
In Technology Threat Avoidance Theory, users go through two cognitive
processes, threat appraisal and coping appraisal, to determine how to deal with cyber
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threats. Users will identify the danger in the threat appraisal if they think they are
vulnerable to malicious threats. The perception of a threat leads to coping appraisal, in
which users evaluate the extent to which a threat may be averted by implementing
precautions based on the costs and effectiveness of such precautions as well as their
self-efficacy in doing so.
Operational Framework
This study was based on Liang and Xu's Technology Threat Avoidance Theory
(TTAT) (2009). According to the theory of Technology Threat Avoidance, people's views
of their sensitivity to these threats and how serious they are affect how aware they are
of the hazards which then in turn affects their intention to avoid threats and their actions
in doing so.
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Figure 2 shows the operational model showing the relationship between the
variables. First, the input, which shows the respondents’ profile, in terms of age, sex,
grade level, section, SIM card network, and number of hours spent using a smartphone.
Next is the process which was carried out by data gathering of the respondents’ profile,
administering survey questionnaires, and the organization of the respondents’
responses. Lastly, the output assessed the level of awareness in SMS spam and
phishing of the respondents.
Statement of the Problem

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This study aims to know how aware are the Grade 7 and Grade 8 students when
it comes to SMS spam and phishing attacks. This paper seeks to answer the following
questions:
1. What is the socio-demographic profile of the respondents in terms of their:
1.1 Age
1.2 Sex
1.3 Grade Level
1.4 Section
1.5 SIM Card Network
1.6 Number of hours spent in using a smartphone
2. How frequently do they receive SMS spam and text messages?
3. What is the level of awareness of the respondents on SMS text messages in terms
of:
2.1 SMS Spam
2.2 SMS Phishing

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Hypothesis of the Study
To seek an answer to the main problem, a 0.05 level of significance was used to
analyze the following null hypothesis.
H0 = There is no significant relationship between students’ level of awareness
and SMS spam and phishing messages.
Assumptions of the Study
The researchers based this study on following assumptions:
1. The response of the students may vary in accordance with their socio-
demographic profile.
2. The respondents frequently receive SMS spam and phishing text messages.
3. The respondents are moderately aware when it comes to SMS spam and
phishing attacks.
4. The respondents will answer the survey questionnaire with all honesty.
Scope and Delimitation
This study focuses on the level of awareness of Grade 7 and Grade 8 students in
SMS Spam and phishing. The profile of the respondents includes the age, gender,
grade, section, SIM card network, and number of hours spent using a smartphone. How
aware are the respondents in terms of spam text messages and phishing text
messages?
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The respondents of this study will consist of Grade 7 and Grade 8 students
enrolled in University of Perpetual Help System - Pangasinan during the school year
2022 - 2023
Significance of the Study
This study aims to assess the level of awareness of Grade 7 and Grade 8
students in SMS spam and phishing. The following can greatly benefit from the study's
findings:
The Students. This study can benefit students, since it will enable them to understand
how susceptible they are to spam and phishing. This study can also serve as a
precaution against cyber crimes like spam and phishing that can pry on students’
private information.
The Parents. They can benefit from this study by knowing about the potential
vulnerability of their children. Through this, parents can inform and forewarn their
children to be more cautious when using the internet and other digital platforms.
The Department of Education. This study's analysis of respondents' awareness and
knowledge of SMS spam and phishing can also benefit them since the Department of
Education may improve its junior high school curriculum by including topics relating to
media and information literacy.

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The National Privacy Commission. This study can serve as an analyst to the National
Privacy Commission, by assessing the awareness of students, the National Privacy
Commission may improve and focus on disseminating information and raising public
awareness when it comes to SMS spam and phishing.
The Researchers. The information and data from the study can benefit the
researchers. Since the study raised awareness of SMS spam and phishing threats, it
gave them additional guidance and insights when it comes to these threats.
The Future Researchers. The findings of this study may contribute to future
discussions regarding SMS spam and phishing awareness and guide future researchers
in improving their knowledge of the topic. Furthermore, the information and findings
might support their study's validity and the accuracy of the facts.
Definition of Terms
The following terms used in this study are defined conceptually and operationally:
Level is a position on a real or imaginary scale of amount, quantity, extent, or quality. In
this study, this refers to how aware are the Grade 7 and Grade 8 students in SMS spam
and phishing.
Awareness refers to the ability to directly know and perceive, to feel, or to be cognizant
of events. In this study, this refers to the respondents’ understanding when it comes to
SMS spam and phishing. This could also refer to how the respondents would react to
these kinds of messages.

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Smartphone refers to a handheld electronic device that provides a connection to a
cellular network. This is the device wherein respondents receive text messages.
Short Text Message pertains to the messages that are sent across SIM card networks.
This paper conveys how short text messages link with spam and phishing. Moreover, it
serves a vital role in measuring the respondents’ level of awareness.
SIM Card, also known as a subscriber identity module, is a smart card that stores
identification information that pinpoints a smartphone to a specific mobile network. This
contains data and the cellphone number of the respondents. It serves as a channel to
receive calls and text messages.
Spam is any unsolicited, unexpected digital message that is distributed in large
quantities. This refers to the persisting text messages that the respondents receive.
Phishing is an attack that attempts to steal your money, or your identity, by getting you
to reveal personal information. This refers to texts that contain harmful links that lead to
dubious websites where responders' personal information is obtained.
Cybercriminals are individuals or a network of people who utilize technology to carry
out illegal actions on digital networks or systems with the goal of obtaining confidential
business information or personal data. These are the people who send malicious texts
or threats to the cellphone number of the respondents.

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Students are those who are enrolled in a school or other educational institution who are
learning with the purpose of gaining knowledge, developing professions, and finding
work in their chosen field. This study will focus on Grade 7 and Grade 8 junior high
school students who are currently enrolled in the Perpetual Help College of Pangasinan.
Susceptibility is the quality of being vulnerable to being affected negatively by
anything. This refers to how prone are the respondents in SMS spam and phishing
attacks.
Threat, as related to cyber security, refers to any potential harmful attack that aims to
access data illegally, interfere with digital operations, or corrupt information. In this
study, it can be spam or phishing threats.
Threat appraisal refers to the mental and emotional processes that go into determining
the likelihood and level of a threat. This is the process in which the respondents sense
that they are at risk.
Coping appraisal refers to the ability to cope with and prevent the threat. This is where
respondents assess the degree to which a threat can be mitigated by taking protective
measures.
Self-efficacy is the belief of an individual in his or her ability to carry out actions
required to generate particular performance attainments. This refers to respondents’
determination of their ability to put the security measure in place.

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Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES
State of the Art
The researchers presented both local and foreign literature and studies to
present a thorough background of the problem under this study. Related concepts,
findings, theories and notions from scholarly researches and articles are presented to
provide an extensive background of the study and improve the additional knowledge
that this study provided.
Review of Related Literature
Foreign
SMS Phishing Scams in Asia
Tactics of fraudulent attack are always evolving. Scammers will keep using it as
long as victims are willing to fall for it, as demonstrated by a surge of cyberattacks in
Asia recently. According to CyberSecAsia (2022) in Vietnam, SMS attacks are still
frequent. The messages are intended to appear to be genuine correspondence from
legitimate banks, markets, or e-commerce businesses. Oftentimes, the messages
advise victims to connect into their banking system to claim a gift they have won. In
addition to stealing money from banks, the attackers also collect huge volumes of
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personal information that can be regularly trafficked in the underground network of
cybercriminals for additional targeted follow-up attacks.
According to Chia et. al (2022), the latest wave of SMS-phishing scams aimed at
digital bank users is being addressed by Singaporean authorities through a number of
methods. These most recent incidents involved fraudulent SMS messages that
appeared in the same thread as actual text messages that the bank had previously
issued for OTPs and payment notifications. By establishing their sender IDs to be
identical to the bank's, the scammers were able to appear in the same thread on the
clients' mobile devices. These fraudulent messages urged recipients to click a link that
would take them to fake websites or ask for their banking information while alleging that
the customer's bank account or credit card had problems.
SMS Spam and Phishing in United States and Australia

It is evident that these cybercrimes are prevalent across the globe. According to
Huddleston (2022), the most recent wave of spam texts with the same number is part of
a recent spike in spam texts that U.S. cell phone subscribers have generally
experienced. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a warning about
the increase in spam texts during the Covid-19 outbreak last year, noting that scammers
were more likely to target Americans in need who were struggling with their health or
finances. Approximately, Americans got 87.8 billion spam text messages overall in
2021, a 58% rise from the year before.

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Likewise, Vasileiou and Dowland (2021) stated that the ScamWatch website of
the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) reports that this year,
scams supplied through "call" or "text" have considerably exceeded those provided via
social media or email. SMS scam campaigns frequently involve delivery and postal
scams; Australia Post even has a page on its website with scam notifications.
However, our cellphones don't offer the same level of security when it comes to SMS
messaging. Although telecommunications companies are improving their ability to
detect SMS scam, this problem hasn't gotten as much attention as email scam.
Local
SMS Spam and Phishing Containing Personal Information
Jacob (2022) stated that as people already learned from these cyberattacks, they
are quick to overlook email spam and phishing. In addition to people taking more
conscious and thorough precautions, email providers and website hosting businesses
have created filters that filter out the majority of spam emails as soon as they arrive in
people' accounts. Unfortunately, when smartphones became more mainstream, spam
and text-based scams began to reemerge. This time, attacks were carried through
SMS, which can now contain embedded links that take users to bogus or phishing
websites. To make things more alarming, Jacob (2022) said that as the recent influx of
messages now includes recipients' full names, a new modus has emerged that has
alarmed many individuals. The attack became more threatening and personal because
of this.
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In addition, Mathay (2022) stated that text messages containing threats to one's
life were used by some of these scammers to intimidate and coerce their victims into
sending money via E - wallets. For some people, blocking messages like this is a simple
solution, but other people might not be as vigilant. Blocking phone numbers is merely a
short-term fix when there is no accountability to begin with.
According to The Manila Times (2022), an increasing number of users are
becoming victims of cybercrime everyday, with phishing (18%), spams and fraud (57%)
and malware infections and reputational attacks (25%). It is apparent that scam related
cyber crimes dominated in 2021. In most recent times, phishing attacks were the most
prevalent, with 42% of respondents reporting having encountered digital fraud,
according to Statista.com (2022), which conducted a survey on the most popular fraud
schemes targeting consumers in the Philippines during the first quarter of 2022.
SIM Card Registration Act
Now on a good note, Belgica (2022) stated that Republic Act 11934, also known
as the "Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Card Registration Act," was passed into law by
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It specifies that direct marketers and telco corporations
get appropriate identification documents before selling SIM cards. Existing SIM card
holders must register with their respective telecoms within a specific time period or risk
having their SIM cards deleted.

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Review of Related Studies
Foreign
Education as Prevention for Phishing Attacks
Alkhalil et. al (2021) stated that in addition to technical flaws, hackers frequently
use users with insufficient training, a lack of cyber ethics, or both to further their
objectives. In most attacks, scammers use hacking techniques that prey on human
nature rather than cutting-edge technologies since various people are more or less
susceptible to phishing and spamming based on their traits and level of awareness.
The most successful defense against and prevention of phishing attempts is human
education. The first line of defense in the suggested methodology for preventing
phishing is awareness and human training, albeit not guaranteeing complete security.
Awareness in SMS Phishing vs. Email Phishing

Based on the results of the study conducted by Berre et. al (2021), the majority of
respondents thought they had previously received phishing emails, and some of them
had even clicked on a suspicious email's link. In addition, a sizable percentage of
people thought they had received an SMS phishing message. Many participants weren't
sure whether they had received one, though. This could mean that individuals are more
aware of spear-phishing attacks sent over email. According to an updated report from
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Verizon from 2021, 96% of all phishing assaults are carried out using email, while only
1% are done via SMS. The fact that SMS phishing frequently uses a reliable sender as
a foundation is another reason.
Awareness in Cybersecurity
According to the study of Alharbi and Tassaddiq (2021), which focuses
Cybersecurity Awareness among Students of Majmaah University, the result obtained
show the level of cybersecurity awareness among college students and inspire new
research paths in this field to create effective tools and ways to assess the growth in
students' cybersecurity knowledge and understanding. Despite the fact that 92% of the
survey respondents had taken part in a formal security awareness class, the majority of
them had no idea what cybersecurity was in the first place and had no idea how to
handle their data. Phishing attacks are on the rise and increasingly target individuals
who are unaware of cybersecurity.
Local
Awareness in Cybercrime in the Philippines
Caluza et. al (2018) studied the perspectives of the chosen Bachelor of Science
in Information Technology (BSIT) students at Leyte Normal University. The respondents
were assessed to determine how their behavior in computer technology is influenced by
their habits, practices, attitudes, issues, and experiences in cybersecurity. Based on the
researchers, one of the main causes of some individuals becoming victims of
cybercriminals is a lack of knowledge about cybersecurity practices, problems, and

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security measures. As a result, it was recommended that awareness programs for
university students, faculty, and staff should be held. The researchers also suggested a
number of security risk mitigation strategies, including incorporating cybersecurity
training programs and maintaining vulnerability awareness.
Abuda et. al (2020) conducted a study to assess senior high school students at
Dolores National High School's perceptions of indicators of cybercrime awareness. The
research on phishing highlighted the necessity for the education sector to create
extremely secure systems and give students cybersecurity training before putting them
on any digital learning platform. Giving students the aptitudes and expertise to defend
against phishing attempts and cyber threats will help them understand what
respondents should do going forward. Regarding scam awareness, the data and related
analysis point to the scam e-mail industry's progressive tendency and increasing global
presence. Therefore, it's important to teach students how to spot scams and to adopt
commonly accepted preventative measures, such as never clicking on a link in an
unidentified message or giving out personal information.
Based on the findings of Ariola et. al (2020), who conducted research about
cybercrime awareness and perception among students of Saint Michael College of
Caraga, through the administration, the researchers will support the implementation of a
program to raise awareness of cybercrime in all of the school's departments and
courses. To raise awareness of cyber security issues and to teach students about
cybercrime, cyber ethics, computer, and network security, as well as the benefits and
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drawbacks of utilizing the internet. Additionally, the researcher will suggest to the
Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Education (DepEd)
that all schools in the Philippines set up their own cybercrime committees as a means of
national cybercrime prevention, protection, and awareness-raising.
Synthesis of the Reviewed Literature
The aforementioned literature has been organized and presented in accordance
with its relevance. According to Jacob (2022), a new modus has evolved here in the
Philippines that has alarmed many people due to the recent surge of messages that
now include the recipients' entire names. This increased the threat and intimacy of the
attack. In addition, Statistica.com reported in the first quarter of 2022, phishing attacks
were the most prevalent, with 42% of Filipino respondents reporting having encountered
digital fraud.
Since fraudulent attack strategies are always changing, it is apparent that
cybercrimes are spreading worldwide. CyberSecAsia (2022) claims SMS attacks are
still common in Vietnam. In the United States, the most recent deceptive messages are
designed to look like official correspondence from reliable banks, markets, or e-
commerce companies. Likewise, Singaporean authorities are using a variety of
strategies to combat the most recent round of SMS-phishing scams that target
customers of digital banks (Chia et. al, 2022).

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In the United States, a wave of spam texts with the same number is a part of a
recent increase in spam texts. It is stated that scammers were more inclined to target
Americans in need who were having financial or health problems. In fact, 87.8 billion
spam text messages were sent to Americans in 2021, up 58% over the previous year
(Huddleston, 2022). Furthermore, According to Vasileiou and Dowland (2021),
Australia's ScamWatch website revealed that the number of frauds distributed via
"phone" or "text" has greatly outnumbered those distributed via social media or email.
Delivery and postal frauds are regularly used in SMS scam campaigns. Since SMS
doesn't have enough security, this issue hasn't received as much attention as email
scam.
Synthesis of the Reviewed Studies
According to Abuda et. al (2020), it's important to teach students how to spot
scams and to follow generally accepted preventative measures, like never clicking on a
link in an unidentified message or giving out personal information. Alkhalil et. al (2021)
stated that in most attacks, scammers tend to use hacking techniques that prey on
human nature rather than cutting-edge technologies since various people are more or
less susceptible to phishing and spamming depending on their traits and level of
awareness. The most effective defense against the prevention of phishing attempts is
human education.
According to the study of Alharbi and Tassaddiq (2021) which focuses on
Cybersecurity Awareness among Students of Majmaah University, the results show the
level of cybersecurity awareness among college students and motivate new research
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paths in this field to develop effective tools and techniques to assess the growth in
students' cybersecurity knowledge and understanding. Phishing attacks are on the rise
and increasingly target individuals who are uninformed of cybersecurity.
The research of Caluza et. al (2018) recommended holding awareness programs
for university students, faculty, and staff. The researchers also suggested a number of
security risk mitigation techniques, such as implementing cybersecurity training
programs and ensuring vulnerability awareness.
Gaps to be Bridged by the Present Study
This study aims to know the level of awareness in SMS spam and phishing of
Grade 7 and Grade 8 students. After a thorough analysis of the relevant literature
previously indicated in the current chapter, it was determined that phishing assaults
were the most common type of cybercrime and that scammers target people who are
more or less vulnerable to phishing and spamming depending on their characteristics
and level of awareness. Furthermore, the majority of the research and articles that were
obtained mainly address the fact that SMS spam and phishing are regularly used to
commit financial theft. Bank clients, college students, and adults make up the majority
of respondents in other researches while none of the studies or articles covered Grade
7 and Grade 8 students which are the respondents of this research. Due to the
respondents' age, gender, and grade level, their level of awareness may differ from
those of respondents in other studies.

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To address the existing gap, fill in blind spots, and provide an in-depth
understanding of the phenomenon, the researchers focused on assessing the level of
awareness in SMS spam and phishing on the concentration of Grade 7 and Grade 8
students. This was accomplished using quantitative surveys and a non-experimental
study approach.
Chapter 3
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
This study applied non-experimental descriptive research design which is
intended to facilitate finding new truth. It aims to describe the nature of a particular
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situation, as it exists at the time of the study. The research study used a descriptive
method in order to know the level of awareness of the Grade 7 and Grade 8 students on
SMS spam and phishing.
Sources of Data
Primary and secondary sources were used to acquire the data. Primary sources
are first-person accounts of a topic, whereas secondary sources are any reports of
information not directly associated with the event. The primary and secondary sources
used in this study were used to gather the vital information required for the study. The
primary source of data will be the Grade 7 and Grade 8 Students who are academically
enrolled at the University of Perpetual Help System - Pangasinan S.Y. 2022-2023. In
order to provide a thorough background and insightful solutions to the research
problems, the researchers also reviewed relevant literature and studies, specifically by
consulting and citing books, papers, published theses and dissertations, online journals,
and other sources.
Population of the Study
The respondents of this study consisted of 100 out of 134 Grade 7 and Grade 8
Junior High School students of University of Perpetual Help System - Pangasinan
enrolled during the School Year 2022-2023. The sample size was computed using the
Slovin’s formula. The respondents will be selected using random and stratified sampling
strategy. A total of 100 students participated as respondents from all sections. There
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were 25 students from Grade 7-A, 25 from Grade 7-B, 25 students from Grade 8-A, and
another 25 students from Grade 8-B.
Figure 3
Figure 4
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Instrumentation and Validation
In this study, the researchers gathered data and information through the use of
survey questionnaires. The researchers used a closed questionnaire in which the
respondents can select their answers.
The questionnaire was divided into three parts: Part 1 covered the demographic
profile of the respondent, Part 2 covered the level of awareness in terms of SMS spam,
and Part 3 covered the level of awareness in terms of SMS phishing.
The researcher instrument is presented to the research adviser for initial
checking. For further validation, the researchers consulted experts in the field of
information technology and statistics who provided comments and possible
recommendations.
Evaluation and Scoring
The questions are based on the Likert Scale by Rensis Likert in order to gauge
the respondents' level of awareness regarding SMS spam and phishing. Survey
questionnaires would be applied, and the following numerical rating, numerical range,
categorical response, verbal interpretation, and verbal description would be used to
describe the level of awareness in SMS spam and phishing of Grade 7 and Grade 8
students.
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In evaluating the frequency of how frequent respondents receive SMS spam and
phishing, the following scales were employed:
Numerical Numerical Categorical Verbal Verbal Description

Rating Range Response Interpretation
5 4.50-5.00 Strongly Very High The respondents

Agree experienced the
indicator 81 –
100%.
4 3.50-4.49 Agree High The respondents

experienced the
indicator 61 - 80%.
3 2.50-3.49 Undecided Moderate The respondents

experienced the
indicator 41 - 60%.
2 1.50-2.49 Disagree Low The respondents

experienced the
indicator 21 – 40%.
1 1.00-1.49 Strongly Very Low The respondents

Disagree experienced the
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In evaluating the level of awareness in SMS spam, the following scales were employed:


indicator 81 –
100%.

experienced the
indicator 61 - 80%.

experienced the
indicator 41 - 60%.

experienced the

In assessing the level of awareness in SMS phishing, the following scales were
employed:
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indicator 81 –
100%.

experienced the
indicator 61 - 80%.

experienced the
indicator 41 - 60%.

experienced the

Data Gathering Procedure
After the validation of the instrument, the researchers asked for the approval from
the office of the Senior High School Principal to allow the researchers to conduct the
study. In order to reach the respondents, the researchers asked the adviser first for the
class lists. First, consent forms were made available for the respondents' approval.
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Then, the questionnaires were reproduced and released to the respondents. The
gathered data were organized, tallied, and subjected to statistical analysis.
Treatment and Analysis of Data

Once the respondent has completed the survey questionnaire, researchers
collect the data and subject it to the following statistical tools:
1. Frequency and percentage distribution were used to describe the respondents'
profiles.
2. Weighted mean and ranking were used to describe the level of awareness in
terms of (a) awareness on SMS spam, and (b) awareness on SMS phishing.
3. A test of relationships was used to determine if there was a significant
relationship between level of awareness and SMS spam and phishing.
Ethical Consideration
The researchers conducted their investigation with ethical consideration in mind,
notably in terms of confidentiality, quality, and the protection of human subjects. To
guarantee that authorization is granted, permission will be strictly followed to assure that
permission is granted. To begin with, permission was first sought from the Department
of Junior High School in the University of Perpetual Help System - Pangasinan where
the researchers conducted the study. University of Perpetual Help System -
Pangasinan’s school administrators gave their written consent to have their students
interviewed who want to participate and be a big part of the study. Since most of the
respondents were still minors, parental approval was obtained as part of the Consent
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Form to be secured explaining their right to voluntarily withdraw from the study at any
time, the central purpose of the study, the procedures used in the data collection,
comments about protecting confidentiality, statement about known risks associated
with, and the expected benefits to accrue by participating in the study.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
This chapter presents the quantitative data gathered in tabular form with the
corresponding interpretation and analysis.
1. What is the socio-demographic profile of the respondents in terms of their: 1.1
Age, 1.2 Sex, 1.3 Grade level, 1.4 Section, 1.5 Sim Card Network, and 1.6
Number of hours spent in using smartphones?
Table 1
Profile of Respondents
Profile Frequencies Percentage Rank
____________________________________________________________
Age 13 years old and below 76 76% 1

14 years old 23 23% 2
15 years old 1 1% 3
16 years old and above 0 0 4
TOTAL 100 100%
Sex Male 46 46% 2
Female 54 54% 1
Grade Level Grade 7 50 50% 1.5
Grade 8 50 50% 1.5
Section Business High School 50 50% 1.5
Academic High school 50 50% 1.5
Sim Card Network Globe 18 18% 3
Smart 37 37% 1
TNT 33 33% 2
TM 2 2% 6
Sun 1 1% 7
Others 4 4% 5
Dual 5 5% 4
Hours spent using 2 Hours Below 17 17% 4
smartphone
3-4 hours 37 37% 1
5-7 hours 25 25% 2
8 hours and above 21 21% 3
TOTAL 100 100%
Table 1 shows the profile of the respondents in terms of age, sex, grade level, section,
SIM card network, and number of hours spent using smartphones. In terms of age, 0%
of the respondents are 16 years old and above, 1% of the respondents are 15 years old,
while 23% of the respondents are 14 years old, and 76% of the respondents are 13
years old and below. In terms of sex, 54% of the respondents are female, while 46% of
the respondents are male. In terms of grade level, 50% of the respondents are Grade 7
students, and another 50% are Grade 8 students. In terms of the respondents’ section,
50% of them are in Academic High School and another 50% again are in Business High
____________________________________________________________
School. In terms of SIM card networks they use, 1% use Sun Cellular, 2% use TM, 4%
use other SIM card networks, 5% use dual sim, 18% use the Globe Network, 33% use
Talk N’ Text, and 37% use the Smart Network. Lastly, in terms of number of hours spent
using their smartphones, 17% of the respondents use their phones 2 hours below, 21%
of the respondents use their smartphones 8 hours and above, while 25% of the
respondents use their smartphones 5-7 hours, and 37% of the respondents use their
smartphones 3-4 hours.
In summary, the majority of the respondents are 13 years old and below and are
females, they use the Smart Network as their SIM card, and spend 3-4 hours using their
smartphones.
2. How frequent do the respondents receive SMS spam and phishing?
Table 2
Respondent’s Frequency in Receiving SMS Spam and Phishing
Descriptive
Indicators Weighted Verbal Rank
Mean Interpretation
1. I frequently receive spam text 3.32 Moderate 1
messages.
2. I frequently receive phishing text 2.72 Moderate 2
messages.
3. I frequently receive text messages 2.61 Moderate 3
containing my personal information.
Summative Mean 2.88 Moderate
Table 2 shows the respondents’ frequency in receiving SMS spam and phishing.
Indicator 1 acquired the highest weighted mean with 3.32 and a verbal interpretation of
____________________________________________________________
moderate, among all indicators implying that the average number of respondents
“frequently receive spam text messages". While Indicator 2 ranked second with a
weighted mean of 2.72, and a verbal interpretation of moderate, implying that a fair
number of respondents “frequently receive phishing text messages”. Lastly, with a
weighted mean of 2.61, indicator 3 acquired the lowest weighted mean, which suggests
that few respondents “frequently receive text messages containing their personal
information.”
To sum it up, a summative mean of 2.88 reveals that a moderate number of
respondents frequently receive SMS spam and phishing.
The findings of this study were in line with a report published in The Manila
Times in 2022, which said that phishing (18%), spams and fraud (57%) and malware
infections and reputational attacks (25%), as well as other forms of cybercrime, are
affecting a rising number of people every day.
of: 2.1 SMS Spam, 2.2 SMS Phishing
Table 3
Respondent’s Awareness in SMS Spam
Descriptive
Mean Interpretation
1. I know what spamming means. 3.85 High 1
2. I would reply to any text messages 2.08 Low 8
from an unknown number.
____________________________________________________________
3. I know where to report spam text 3.21 Moderate 7
messages.
4. I trust any text message that asks me 1.87 Low 9
to enter my personal information.
5. I understand the consequences if I 3.7 High 2

respond to any messages from an
unknown number.
6. I immediately delete or block spam 3.55 High 3
messages from an unknown number.
7. I believe that understanding 3.22 Moderate 6
spamming is necessary.
8. I am confident when it comes to my 3.31 Moderate 5
level of awareness in SMS spam.
9. I believe I can improve my awareness
about SMS spam. 3.5 High 4
Table 3 reveals the level of awareness of the respondents in terms of SMS
spam. Among the nine indicators, indicator 1 acquired the highest weighted mean of
3.85 which stated that “I know what spamming means” with a verbal interpretation of
high, implying that a large number of respondents know what spamming means.
Indicator 5, which stated “I understand the consequences if I respond to any messages
from an unknown number” ranked second with a weighted mean of 3.7 and a verbal
interpretation of high, implying that the respondents understand the consequences if
they respond to any text messages from an unknown number. While indicator 6 ranked
third with a weighted mean of 3.55, which stated respondents “immediately delete or
block spam messages from an unknown number.” It has the verbal interpretation of high
which means respondents immediately delete or block spam messages from an
unknown number. With a weighted mean of 3.5, indicator 9 ranked fourth with a verbal
interpretation of high, which implies that respondents “believe they can improve their
____________________________________________________________
awareness about SMS spam.” Indicator 8 which said respondents are “confident when it
comes to their level of awareness in SMS spam” ranked fifth with a weighted mean of
3.31, and was verbally interpreted as moderate. It implies that a fair number of
respondents are confident when it comes to their level of awareness in SMS spam. With
a weighted mean of 3.22, indicator 7 ranked sixth which says respondents “believe that
understanding spamming is necessary” with a verbal interpretation of moderate. It
implies that the average respondents believe that understanding spamming is
necessary. Indicator 3 ranked seventh with a weighted mean of 3.21 and a verbal
interpretation of moderate, which suggested that a fair number of the respondents
“know where to report spam text messages.” Indicator 2 states respondents “would
reply to any text messages from an unknown number” has a weighted mean of 2.08 and
ranked eighth among the indicators. It has a verbal interpretation of low, which means
only a small number of respondents will reply to any text messages from an unknown
number. Lastly, among the given indicators, indicator 4 ranked last with a weighted
mean of 1.87 and was verbally interpreted as low. It implies that only a few of the
respondents “trust any text message that asks them to enter their personal information.”
In summary, a summative mean of 3.14 revealed that the respondents are
moderately aware when it comes to SMS spam.
Table 4
Respondent’s Awareness in SMS Phishing
Descriptive
____________________________________________________________
Mean Interpretation
1. I know what phishing means. 3.12 Moderate 6
2. I have been a victim of phishing text 2.59 Moderate 8
messages
3. I know where to report phishing text 3.01 Moderate 7
messages.
4. I trust any text message that asks me 1.86 Low 9
to enter my personal information.
5. I understand the consequences if I 3.75 High 1

click an unknown link.
6. I immediately delete or block phishing 3.48 Moderate 3
messages from an unknown number.
7. I believe that understanding phishing is 3.31 Moderate 4
necessary.
8. I am confident when it comes to my 3.2 Moderate 5
level of awareness in SMS phishing.
9. I believe I can improve my awareness
about SMS phishing. 3.69 High 2
Table 4 displays the level of awareness in terms of SMS phishing. Indicator 5
ranked first among the 9 indicators with a verbal interpretation of high, meaning a huge
number of respondents “understand the consequences if they click an unknown link.”
Indicator 9 which stated respondents “believe they can improve their awareness about
SMS phishing” ranked second with a weighted mean of 3.69 and a verbal interpretation
of high, meaning a lot of respondents believe that there is still room for improvements in
their awareness in SMS phishing. Indicator 6 ranked third and has a weighted mean of
3.48 with a verbal interpretation of moderate, implying a fair number of respondents
“immediately delete or block phishing messages from an unknown number.” With a
weighted mean of 3.31, indicator 7 which stated respondents “believe that

____________________________________________________________
understanding phishing is necessary” ranked fourth and has a verbal interpretation of
moderate, implying the average respondents believe that understanding phishing is
necessary. Indicator 8 which said respondents are “confident when it comes to their
level of awareness in SMS phishing” ranked fifth with a weighted mean of 3.2 and a
verbal interpretation of moderate, meaning that a reasonable number of respondents
are confident when it comes to their level of awareness. Indicator 1 ranked sixth and
has a weighted mean of 3.12 with a verbal interpretation of moderate, meaning the
average number of respondents “know what phishing means.” Indicator 3 with a
weighted mean of 3.01, ranked seventh and was verbally interpreted as moderate,
implying enough respondents “know where to report phishing text messages.” Indicator
2 which states respondents “have been a victim of phishing text messages” ranked
eighth with a weighted mean of 2.59, and a verbal interpretation of moderate, which
means a fair number of respondents have been a victim of phishing text messages.
Lastly, with a weighted mean of 1.86, indicator 4 ranked last with a verbal interpretation
of low, which implies only a small number of the respondents “trust any text message
that asks them to enter their personal information.”
To sum it up, a summative mean of 3.11 revealed that the respondents are
moderately aware when it comes to SMS phishing.

____________________________________________________________
Chapter 5
SUMMARY FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS, AND FUTURE DIRECTION
This chapter presented the summary of findings based on the collected data from
the study, the conclusions drawn, and the future direction offered by the researchers.
This study applied non-experimental descriptive research design to understand
the level of awareness in SMS spam and phishing of the respondents. It aimed to
answer the following question:
1. What is the socio-demographic profile of the respondents in terms of their:
1.1 Age
1.2 Gender
1.3 Grade
1.4 Section
1.5 SIM Card Network
1.6 Number of hours spent in using a smartphone
2. How frequently do they receive SMS spam and text messages?
of:
2.1 SMS Spam
2.2 SMS Phishing

____________________________________________________________
Summary of Findings
The following are the summary of findings based on the data gathered:
1. As to the demographic profile
In terms of age, 0% of the respondents are 16 years old and above, 1% of the
respondents are 15 years old, while 23% of the respondents are 14 years old, and 76%
of the respondents are 13 years old and below. In terms of sex, 54% of the respondents
are female, while 46% of the respondents are male. In terms of grade level, 50% of the
respondents are Grade 7 students, and another 50% are Grade 8 students. In terms of
the respondents’ section, 50% of them are in Academic High School and another 50%
again are in Business High School. In terms of SIM card networks they use, 1% use
Sun Cellular, 2% use TM, 4% use other SIM card networks, 5% use dual sim, 18% use
the Globe Network, 33% use Talk N’ Text, and 37% use the Smart Network. Lastly, in
terms of number of hours spent using their smartphones, 17% of the respondents use
their phones 2 hours below, 21% of the respondents use their smartphones 8 hours and
above, while 25% of the respondents use their smartphones 5-7 hours, and 37% of the
respondents use their smartphones 3-4 hours.
2. As to respondent’s frequency in receiving SMS spam and phishing can be
described:
A moderate number of respondents frequently experience SMS spam and
phishing, having obtained an overall summative mean of 2.88.

____________________________________________________________
3. As to respondent’s awareness in SMS spam can be described:
The respondents are moderately aware of SMS spam, based on a summative
mean of 3.14.
4. As to respondent’s awareness in SMS phishing can be described:
The respondents' overall awareness of SMS phishing was moderate, as
indicated by a summative mean of 3.11.
Conclusion
Based on the findings of the study, the following conclusions were drawn:
1. The majority of the respondents are 13 years old and below and are females,
they use the Smart Network as their SIM card, and spend 3-4 hours using their
smartphones.
2. An adequate number of respondents said they frequently receive spam and
phishing SMS messages.
3. The respondents are moderately aware when it comes to SMS spam.
4. The respondents are moderately aware when it comes to SMS phishing.
Future Directions
1. Students must do their fair share of studying, when it comes to finding out about
the risks of SMS spam and phishing.
2. Students must understand how vulnerable they are to SMS spam and phishing.
____________________________________________________________
3. Parents should inform and warn their children to use their smartphones with
more caution. They should also advise their children to be more careful when
replying to text messages.
4. Teachers are advised to tackle the dangers of SMS spam and phishing and other
types of scams. They are encouraged to delve in deeper and thoroughly discuss
these issues to raise the awareness of their students.
5. The school is encouraged to conduct seminars regarding how to mitigate scams
and online threats. They should also promote online security and media
information literacy for their students.
6. The Department of Education should improve their curriculum and incorporate
lessons regarding media and information literacy.
7. The National Privacy Commission should assess the results of this study and
should improve the dissemination of information so they can raise awareness
and educate students and other people.
8. Future researchers are encouraged to expand the scope of this study by not only
describing the level of awareness of the respondents but also by testing other
key variables that are related to SMS spam and phishing through qualitative or
quantitative inquiry. They are also urged to validate the findings of this study with
a greater number of respondents in a different cultural setting.

____________________________________________________________
References
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University of Perpetual Help System Pangasinan- JONELTA

Basic Education Department- Senior High School

A Research Presented to the Faculty of the Senior High School

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject

Myka Gabrielle A. Nartates

With the growing necessity of smartphones in today’s society, humans have

accessibility, which unfortunately makes them vulnerable to cybercriminals who use it to

concerns posed by smartphones. Moreover, people use their smartphones frequently

Service) messages without hesitation.

Commission's deputy privacy commissioner, scammers may have manually or

and phishing text messages that people receive every day.

Spamming is the act of sending mass unsolicited commercial messages to users of

information to an illegitimate site (Downs et. al, 2006).

According to Alkhalil et. al (2021), cybercriminals typically prey on people who

spamming depending on their characteristics and level of awareness. Students are

unsuspecting, and young minds.

motivations and behaviors, a technology threat avoidance theory was employed. .

In Technology Threat Avoidance Theory, users go through two cognitive

vulnerable to malicious threats. The perception of a threat leads to coping appraisal, in

self-efficacy in doing so.

administering survey questionnaires, and the organization of the respondents’

phishing of the respondents.

Statement of the Problem

1. What is the socio-demographic profile of the respondents in terms of their:

1.3 Grade Level

1.5 SIM Card Network

1.6 Number of hours spent in using a smartphone

2. How frequently do they receive SMS spam and text messages?

2.1 SMS Spam

2.2 SMS Phishing

analyze the following null hypothesis.

H0 = There is no significant relationship between students’ level of awareness

and SMS spam and phishing messages.

Assumptions of the Study

The researchers based this study on following assumptions:

Scope and Delimitation

Significance of the Study

The Department of Education. This study's analysis of respondents' awareness and

media and information literacy.

Privacy Commission, by assessing the awareness of students, the National Privacy

awareness when it comes to SMS spam and phishing.

Level is a position on a real or imaginary scale of amount, quantity, extent, or quality. In

these kinds of messages.

Smartphone refers to a handheld electronic device that provides a connection to a

serves a vital role in measuring the respondents’ level of awareness.

identification information that pinpoints a smartphone to a specific mobile network. This

receive calls and text messages.

Spam is any unsolicited, unexpected digital message that is distributed in large

dubious websites where responders' personal information is obtained.

Cybercriminals are individuals or a network of people who utilize technology to carry

or threats to the cellphone number of the respondents.

Susceptibility is the quality of being vulnerable to being affected negatively by

study, it can be spam or phishing threats.

that they are at risk.

required to generate particular performance attainments. This refers to respondents’

determination of their ability to put the security measure in place.

State of the Art

that this study provided.

Review of Related Literature

SMS Phishing Scams in Asia

frequent. The messages are intended to appear to be genuine correspondence from

legitimate banks, markets, or e-commerce businesses. Oftentimes, the messages