Quezon city: The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and ScamWatch Pilipinas have called on the Filipino public to remain vigilant against the top 12 scams prevalent during the holiday season. In a press conference held at the CICC headquarters, acting Executive Director Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso emphasized the importance of the Holiday Watch PH 2025 campaign, which aims to educate and protect citizens from various online scams.
According to Philippines News Agency, the campaign is part of the government’s efforts to equip Filipinos with the necessary knowledge to avoid falling victim to scams such as fraudulent messages, fake deliveries, phishing calls, and others. The list of scams includes those related to online shopping, fake delivery, calls, tasks/jobs, investments, love, loans, impersonation, travel, charity, middleman involvement, and online gambling. Paraiso stated that the primary goal of the initiative is to safeguard every Filipino from cybercriminal activities during the Christmas season.
Jocel de Guzman, co-founder of ScamWatch and president of Truth360 Inc., praised the ongoing success of the information drive, now in its third year. He attributed the campaign’s effectiveness to the Anti-Scam Quad Model, which focuses on behavior change, volunteerism, cross-sector collaboration, and technology-enabled reporting. De Guzman noted that partnerships with CICC and the private sector have led to a decrease in text scams and an increase in public reporting.
De Guzman advised the public to adopt four key habits to combat scams: being cautious, skeptical, ignoring suspicious messages, and reporting scams by calling 1326. He urged victims of online fraud to contact the National Anti-Scam Hotline and encouraged non-victims to submit screenshots and suspicious links through the eReport section of the eGOVPH app.
Furthermore, de Guzman recommended downloading the Whoscall app from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store to identify unknown callers and block potential scam numbers. The Holiday Watch PH 2025 campaign is conducted in partnership with Gogolook, Meta, and Truth360 Inc.
