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MANILA, Philippines—It’s just two weeks into 2025 and Smart Communications Inc. already issued a warning against scams that could potentially result in financial losses, showing that sinister hackers are relentless in targeting unsuspecting victims.

Smart Communications Inc., in a statement on Tuesday, said that it had blocked a phishing website that lures customers into clicking a malicious link sent via mobile messages to redeem “Smart points” that are expiring.

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“Criminal syndicates have been using fake cell site devices to push scam messages directly to mobile subscribers,” according to Roy Ibay, vice president and head of regulatory affairs at Smart.

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“To make their messages believable, they spoof the sender to make it appear as if the SMS (short message service) is legitimate and was sent by the mobile carrier,” Ibay said.

The fake website tricks users into providing their personal data. In phishing scams, hackers illegally obtain sensitive information like bank details so they can take over the account and steal money.

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Smart said the public must block or delete suspicious messages and never click on these links.

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Globe Telecom Inc. also reminded its customers to only register their SIM (subscriber identity module) cards under their names.

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This, as the Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) arrested two suspects in the illegal sale of pre-registered SIMs.

This act is a violation of the SIM card registration law. Guilty parties will be penalized with imprisonment of six months to six years and/or fines of P100,000 to P300,000.

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“We laud the PNP-CIDG for carrying out this operation, which led to a significant win against fraudsters. Let this successful police operation serve as proof that the SIM Registration Act is working and that it is a powerful tool against scammers,” said Globe general counsel Froilan Castelo.

According to an October 2024 report by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, Filipinos lost $8.1 billion, or nearly P460 billion in the past 12 months due to scams that were mostly launched via text messages.

On average, Filipino victims lost $275 each, or about P16,000, because of scams.

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About 67 percent of every three victims realized on their own that they had been scammed, the study notes. The rest needed to be told by a representative of a bank, telecommunications company, or government to confirm the scam.

"This series is not just about the two teams playing; it's about reviving the spirit of hockey in Delhi. We hope this will inspire more young players from the region to take up the game," Harmanpreet stated in a press release issued by Hockey India.

Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey expressed his enthusiasm and stated: "This bilateral series against Germany will be a remarkable showcase of world-class hockey. Both India and Germany have a rich history in the sportphlboss, and this series will give fans an opportunity to witness an intense competition between two of the most formidable teams in the world.

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