MANILA: Philippine authorities have warned consumers to remain vigilant against QR code fraud, online investment schemes and romance scams as the Christmas shopping season approaches, when increased spending and year-end bonuses can make people more vulnerable to financial deception.
The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has flagged a growing threat known as “quishing,” in which fraudsters use malicious QR codes to redirect victims to fraudulent websites, steal personal information or trick them into making payments to criminals.
Robert S. Paguia, division chief and data protection officer at the CICC, said these codes can appear in emails, text messages and public posters. Scammers may also replace legitimate QR codes displayed at physical businesses, potentially diverting payments away from merchants.
Authorities have advised consumers to verify QR codes and confirm payment details with businesses before completing transactions. According to the CICC, apprehending perpetrators remains difficult because many scam networks operate across international borders, allowing criminals to move quickly and leave limited digital evidence.
The Philippine National Police also issued a warning about quishing in July. Reported online scam cases fell to 510 by June, compared with 1,060 during the corresponding period a year earlier. Despite the decline, officials continue to caution against evolving fraud methods.
The growing use of artificial intelligence is adding another layer of risk. Raghuraman Chandrasekhar, country head of IDfy Philippines, said criminal groups are adopting AI to develop increasingly varied scam techniques targeting consumers and financial institutions.
A joint white paper by IDfy and CIBI Information, Inc. estimates that the Philippines could lose as much as 603 billion pesos annually to scams involving money mule accounts, equivalent to nearly 3% of the country’s gross domestic product.
Consumers can report suspected cybercrime incidents to the CICC through its 24-hour hotline at 1326 or its reporting portal at report.cicc.gov.ph.
