(Eagle News) — The National Bureau of Investigation on Friday, April 10, warned the public against scammers who may take advantage of the COVID-19 crisis to steal money or personal information.
NBI director Eric Distor said the public should particularly be wary of emails supposedly coming from the Department of Health, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, the inter-agency task force and other agencies that claim they have information about COVID-19.
He noted some links “can deliver malware to your computer and steal personal information or lock your devices or cellphones and demand payment as ransom.”
“Do your research first before clicking on any links purporting to provide any information and updates on the virus, donations, contributions to free food campaign, online food purchase or providing personal information to receive money or other benefits,” Distor said.
He also advised the public not to give any personal information to entities claiming to be their banks, noting that the public should instead verify with their banks first if the messages are legitimate.
He added some people may also use apps that purport to track COVID-19 cases worldwide, only for them to lock your phone and demand payment for the device to be unlocked.
Suspicious emails or messages may be reported to the NBI operation center at 09617349450 or to the cybercrime and anti-fraud divisions at 85238231-38.
Reports may also be sent to the NBI’s website or Facebook account.
