BDO: The banking public is urged to be cautious of SMS hijacking scams, where fraudsters impersonate legitimate senders to deceive recipients into believing the messages are authentic.
Law enforcement reports reveal that illegal cellular sites, or IMSI catchers, are using trusted brand sender IDs, such as BDO, to make scam texts appear legitimate.
These spoofed messages usually entice clients with claims of prizes won, free gifts, or claims of account problems. In all these cases, the scammer instructs the client to click on a link included in the spoofed message.
Clicking the fake link leads to a fraudulent website where victims are prompted to enter their account details, including username, password, and OTP. Once submitted, scammers use this information to access and steal from the victim’s bank account.
BDO stressed that it will never send messages with clickable links to its clients. Furthermore, the Bank shared the following tips to avoid being scammed by SMS hijacking:
- Never click on links. BDO will NEVER send links. If the message has a link, it’s a SCAM!
- Never share personal information via SMS
- Be wary of unsolicited messages that offer deals that seem too good to be true
BDO also advised its clients to report and forward any suspicious messages to 225678.
