A pharmacy in Dauis, Bohol has lost approximately P70,000 pesos to scammers who impersonated a local official through a fraudulent Facebook account, revealing growing fears about digital fraud in the country as authorities struggle with enforcement challenges.
The pharmacy owner transferred the funds via electronic wallets after believing the money would be used to pay a barangay supplier, according to Jennylyn Junstar, officer-in-charge of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in Bohol province.
The scammers created a fake Facebook account posing as Ricardo Pojas, captain of Bingag barangay, to solicit the funds.
Pojas denied any involvement and confirmed the account was fraudulent, Junstar said in a report.
The pharmacy owner expressed hope the stolen funds would be recovered, though investigators face obstacles.
The NTC can only block scammer phone numbers, while e-wallet-related issues must be forwarded to the Central Bank (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas), Junstar said.
“Before taking any action it is best to verify the identity of the person whom you are transacting with,” Junstar said, noting that data gathering remains hard due to privacy laws.
The NTC official said the telecommunications regulator has been issuing regular warnings about online scams, as fraudsters proliferate on social media platforms targeting unsuspecting individuals.
She added that the NTC has appealed to Congress to amend the SIM registration law to strengthen enforcement capabilities.
STUDENT ARRESTED IN CELLPHONE SNATCH-AND-EXTORTION SCHEME
In a related news, police arrested a student on Feb. 4 following an entrapment operation after the suspect allegedly stole a mobile phone and used it to extort money from the victim’s contacts through social media.
The suspect, whose name was not released, faces multiple charges including identity theft, illegal access and violation of the Cybercrime Prevention Act, said Major Rey Olar, spokesman for the Bohol Provincial Police Office.
The cybercrime response team conducted the operation in coordination with Tagbilaran City Police Station, arresting the suspect inside a shopping mall in barangay Poblacion 2, Olar said.
According to police reports, the suspect snatched the victim’s cellphone, then accessed the owner’s social media accounts to request money from friends via electronic wallets while pretending to be the legitimate phone owner.
The arrest followed a complaint filed by the snatching victim, who reported that the thief had begun soliciting funds from contacts stored in the stolen device.
PHILHEALTH WARNS OF FAKE WEBSITES TARGETING MEMBER DATA
In a related development, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) warned members about fraudulent websites impersonating its official portal in attempts to harvest sensitive personal data, the state health insurer said in a statement.
Numerous fake sites are replicating the design of PhilHealth’s legitimate website to deceive members, PhilHealth President Edwin Mercado said, urging the public to exercise caution when accessing online services.
The only authentic PhilHealth website is www.philhealth.gov.ph, the agency said.
Legitimate Philippine government websites typically use the .gov.ph domain extension, while fraudulent sites often employ .com or .net addresses.
Bogus websites frequently display low-resolution versions of the PhilHealth logo and request payment or login credentials outside the official portal, the agency said.
PhilHealth advised members to verify website branding by comparing it with other government portals and the insurer’s verified social media accounts.
The agency urged users not to click suspicious links and to report malicious websites through its official Facebook page, email to the action center, or via the legitimate website.
The warnings come as digital fraud cases increase, and the expanding internet access and widespread e-wallet adoption have created new opportunities for scammers to target both individuals and businesses.