‘Stay informed, vigilant’: UP urges students, alumni to report fake Facebook accounts

MANILA, Philippines — Suspicious accounts bearing the names of students and alumni of the University of the Philippines have surfaced online, the university said Sunday.

“The UP System has received reports that fake or dummy Facebook accounts have been created for UP students and alumni,” UP said on Twitter.

The university urged its members to check their names and accounts, and to report it to the Data Protection Officer of Facebook.

The UP Office of the Student Regent, meanwhile, said the “empty, duplicate and fake” accounts carrying the names of UP students have been reported following protests in UP campuses and threats to its students.

The student group said this was first reported in UP Cebu, where 7 protesters and a bystander were arrested on Friday after joining an anti-terror bill protest.

“We express our utmost alarm since these accounts are suspected to cause harm or spread false information. It would be best if we all stay informed and vigilant,” it said.

It encouraged its students to report the suspicious accounts: “We just need to stand together against possible tactics seeking to silence our voice.”