DOF warns public on proliferation of scammers on messaging app Telegram
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Finance (DOF) on Sunday warned the public against scammers who pose as its employees and ask for money in exchange for their “services.”
The DOF said that the online scammers use the messaging app Telegram to reach out to potential victims.
“Sila ay nagpapanggap na empleyado ng DOF at nag-aalok ng iba’t ibang serbisyo at transaksyon upang maningil ng bayad,” the agency said in a post on X (formerly twitter).
(They pretend to be employees of the DOF and offer various services and transactions to collect fees.)
READ: Teachers file raps vs car loan scammers — PAOCC
But the DOF said that none of their employees have the authority to conduct transactions outside of the agency’s official platforms.
READ: BI renews warning vs recruitment scams
The agency reminded Filipinos that it only has official accounts on Facebook, X, Instagram, Tiktok, YouTube, and Viber. DOF does not have a Telegram account or channel.
“We would like to remind everyone to be cautious and only engage with the official DOF office for any transactions,” it added.
In November, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center advised the public to be extra careful of scams as incidents of fraud tend to increase during the Christmas season.
