The Cyber Crime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), in coordination with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Scam Watch Pilipinas, reactivated the Oplan Bantay Lakbay to aid in scams this Undas 2024.
On Wednesday, October 30, CICC Executive Director, and Undersecretary Alexander Ramos announced that the information drive was reactivated to ensure safe and convenient travel experiences for tourists and locals. He noted that Filipinos would take advantage of the upcoming holidays to visit their loved ones on Undas.
The DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista also highlighted people to expect that commuters will be taking advantage of the long weekend this All Saints’ and All Souls Day.
With that in mind, numerous locals book their flights and bus tickets ahead of time. Some people also look for places to stay in during the holiday. Due to this, scammers see that as a chance to engage in cyber fraud.
“While our fellow Filipinos are eager to visit the grave of our dearly departed, we sometimes also fall prey to online scammers through hotel and transportation bookings,” Ramos stressed.
According to the CICC Executive Director, tourists and locals should be careful of the following scams:
- Unsecured Wifi
- Fake wallets, customer services, and accommodations
- Too good to be true deals
- Bogus travel agents
- Counterfeit cash
- Hidden CCTVs
- Ticket fixers
The authorities reminded the public that they may call CICC’s interagency response centers through their hotline:1326, to report travel concerns or cyber fraud. Additionally, they may also use the eGov Super App or the Whoscall app for reports.
The information drive will run from October 30 to November 5 this year.
