Filipinos warned of fake traffic fine messages sent out in new scam

While Filipino expats in the UAE are used to traffic fine notices being sent as SMS — back home, it is not the case. Philippine authorities on Friday warned of scams that come in the form of traffic violation messages.

The Philippines' Land Transportation Office (LTO) said all such messages are scams and should be ignored.

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“We would like to remind the public that the LTO does not send any traffic violations through text messages or any messaging app. If you receive one, that means it came from scammers,” Vigor Mendoza II, LTO chief assistant secretary, said in a report published on the state news agency PNA.

The fake traffic violation SMS comes with a link that leads people to a bogus LTO website asking for personal details.

“Do not ever type in the license plates of your motor vehicles and give other personal information about your bank or e-wallet accounts. Better yet, ignore all of them because they are certainly scams,” Mendoza said.

The transport authority has been working with other government agencies to track down the fraudsters behind the scheme.

Senator Grace Poe, in a statement, said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) should "lead the fight" against text scammers by being more proactive.

The senator urged the NTC to devise “effective mechanisms” to address users' concerns, and educate users about spam filters.

"The SIM Registration Act was meant to be a joint effort by all government agencies and sectors, with NTC at the helm leading the fight against text scams," Poe said.

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