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Online identity theft cases rise in Pangasinan amid pandemic

By Ahikam Pasion

October 15, 2020, 4:22 pm

DAGUPAN CITY – The National Bureau of Investigation Dagupan District Office (NBI-DADO) has warned the public against online identity theft as the agency recorded a spike in cases.
 
In an interview Thursday, NBI-DADO special investigator Roberto Gonzales said their office has been recording 12 to 30 online identity theft cases per month since the coronavirus outbreak in March, from just five to 10 cases prior to the pandemic.
 
The agency advised the public not to post sensitive information online to keep predators at bay.
 
Gonzales said they should inform social media friends and contacts of which accounts someone has legitimate control of.
 
Victims of online identity theft and similar crimes can file complaints, the NBI added.
 
Gonzales said criminals, scammers, and swindlers have spread throughout the social media as the pandemic forced many Filipinos to be active in the use of the internet.
 
“The criminals steal the identity of their victim, steal their profile information and their photos, and create another similar account. They then approach their targets, usually friends of the victim, and ask for favors, load, or even cash. Before the victims realized, they were scammed, it was too late,” he said. (PNA)

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