MANILA - Consumers were advised to remain vigilant even during the Holy Week break as fraudsters are expected to take advantage those trying to find good deals for accommodation, flights and activities during the long weekend.

In a statement, BPI said cyber crimes remain rampant, including bogus emails and text about vacation vouchers and donation pledges

“The public should be careful of these scams and fake offers, as fraudsters use various tactics, such as phishing, to obtain personal information,” said Jonathan Paz, BPI Enterprise Information Security Officer and Data Protection Officer.

To avoid becoming victims of phishing and other crimes, BPI shared the following tips:

• Verify the sender - Ignore messages from unknown addresses
• Check the subject - Unofficial and random messages from banks may be fake. It's best to check from official channels
• Examine the message - Be skeptical when emails have generic messages, send of urgency, and if it's too good to be true
• Think twice before clicking links and attachments

“Fraudsters are getting more sophisticated so best to stay vigilant, informed, and updated. For our part, BPI continues to invest heavily in cybersecurity to ensure we are able to deliver superior user experience, securely,” Paz assured.

Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky also shared the following tips to evade cybercriminals:

• Log out - For employees, it's best to log out of VPN access during the long weekend and end unnecessary sessions
• Browse only trusted apps and websites
• Don't leave valuables, such as laptops, mobile phones and credit cards, unattended
• Use credit cards since they have built-in protection against fraud
• Install security software on devices
• Companies are encouraged to educate their employees on two-factor authentication, malwares and the dangers of using public WiFi

"Whether Filipinos are scheduling holiday trips of just staycationing during the long weekends, it's important to observe simple digital security practices so you can get to sit back and relax as you take your well-deserved vacation. Security-first thinking opens doors for a more enjoyable holiday break, especially for Filipinos who are amongst the world's most active online users," Kaspersky's Asia Pacific Managing Director Chris Connel said.

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