The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG) reported a sharp increase in cyber identity theft cases in the country.
According to PNP ACG, it recorded 2,999 cases related to cyber identity theft from 2022 to 2023, an increase of 13.9% from 1,402 reported cases in 2022 to 1,597 cases in 2023. This offense is subject to the penalties outlined in Section 4 (B) 3 (Computer-related Identity Theft) of RA 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Cyber identity theft occurs when individuals unknowingly share sensitive information through methods like phishing, scams, or downloading malicious software. Cybercriminals exploit social media platforms and insecure networks, compromise ATMs, and target data breaches on company, government, or educational websites.
“Protecting yourself from cyber identity theft is crucial in today’s digital age,” said PMGEN Sidney Hernia, director of PNP ACG. “PNP ACG emphasizes the importance of exercising caution in sharing unnecessary personal information online, avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources, and look for ‘https://’ in the URL when entering sensitive information on websites.”
The public is advised to regularly monitor their bank accounts and credit reports, use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication, and report any suspicious activities or transactions to the authorities.
PNP ACG is also urging the public to be more vigilant in protecting their personal information online. To report any cybercrime incidents, you can file a complaint at https://acg.pnp.gov.ph/eComplaint/ or call its hotline numbers: (02) 8723-0401 (local 7491) or 0968-867-4302.
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