Publiko binalaan laban sa pekeng RTVM account na nagso-solicit ng online investments  

BINALAAN ng Presidential Communications Office (PCO) ang publiko laban sa mga scammers na gumagamit ng pekeng Facebook account na nagpapanggap na attached agency nito, ang Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM), para makapag-solicit ng online investments.

“A fake Facebook page posing as the official account of Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) has been found circulating scam content that falsely links the agency to an online investment scheme,” ayon sa kalatas ng PCO.

“The fraudulent page copied RTVM’s official name and profile picture, mimicking the look of a legitimate government page to deceive users. The posts on the fake page encouraged the public to participate in supposed investment opportunities, which is a common tactic in online fraud,” dagdag na pahayag ng PCO.

Sinabi pa ng PCO na ang lehitimong Facebook page ng RTVM ay mayroong ‘verified blue badge’ na matatagpuan sa lehitimong government pages, habang ang ‘impostor account’ ay hindi verified, mayroong mababang follower at engagement metrics, at naglalaman ng content sa labas ng official scope ng state-run agency.

Sa kabilang dako, pinasinungalingan na ng RTVM ang unverified Facebook account na may misleading contents, nanawagan sa publiko na maging bigilante laban sa ‘fraudulent pages o indibiduwal’ na nagpapanggap na taga-ahensiya.

Tiniyak ng RTVM na “it does not, and will never engage in such malicious acts,” sabay binigyang diin na hindi ito kailanman masasangkot sa “solicit or accept any form of monetary contribution or financial participation from the public.”

“We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience that this may have caused,” ang sinabi ng RTVM sa isang Facebook post. “RTVM urges everyone to be vigilant and critical when consuming online contents, particulary from unverified and unofficial social media accounts.”

Sa kabilang dako, hinikayat naman ng PCO ang publiko na sumunod lamang sa mga verified government pages upang makakuha ng tamang impormasyon.

Hinikayat din ng PCO ang publiko na palaging tingnan ang blue check mark na tanda ng ‘verified page; i-check ang official links, post history, at ang consistent branding; at kagyat at direktang i-report ang kahina-hinalang accounts sa pamamagitan ng Facebook’s platform.

“The PCO is also calling on social media platforms to strengthen their systems for detecting and removing impostor pages, especially those exploiting the names of public institutions,” ayon sa PCO.

“The public is advised to report any misleading or potentially harmful content and remain cautious of unsolicited messages that promise returns or ask for financial contributions,” ang sinabi pa rin nito. (Daris Jose)