The new life skill of being wise online

Even before COVID-19 forced us to learn to do many things within the confines of our homes, technology has long promised to change the way we work, study and live. When the pandemic-driven lockdowns gave us no choice but to stay indoors, that change was hastened. 

For consumers, the emergence of technological innovations such as e-marketplaces, e-commerce and other online platforms has paved the way for an easier and more convenient experience. Paying bills is now possible in just a few clicks, and shopping for clothes, food and other necessities has become more accessible with just a gadget and the internet. 

But like all other things, there is a dark, if not sinister, side to all this convenience and efficiency. 

Last year, the Anti-Cybercrime Group of the Philippine National Police documented 19,884 cases of cybercrime, with online scams making up more than half the number of cases. Online scams could take the form of computer-related identity theft, online libel, ATM/credit card fraud, online threats, data interference, photo and video voyeurism, unjust vexation and computer-related fraud. 

And then, in the first quarter of this year, the number of cybercrime cases increased by 21.84%, with 4,469 cybercrimes were recorded from January to March 2024 from the 3,668 cases during the same period in 2023. 

According to the PNP-ACG, primary crimes contributing to the increase were online selling scams with 990 cases, debit and credit card fraud with 309 cases, and investment scams with 319 cases. ACG saw a significant trend wherein social media accounts are breached and used for financial gain. In the month of February 2024 alone, the PNP recorded 89 cases of identity theft case.

Among 11 countries surveyed in the 2023 Asia Scam Report, the Philippines has the highest rate of online scams. The most common among these were shopping scams, identity theft, investment frauds, government/bank frauds, job scams, lottery scams, scams involving family or relatives, bill payment scams and charity scams, according to the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center.

Imagine how much higher the actual number can be if we consider the cases that have not been reported --