In today’s digital world, the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has, unfortunately, also increased the risk of netizens falling for online scams.
AI tools have created a virtual world so closely modeled on our physical world that at times, it is almost impossible to distinguish between a “real-life” photograph and an AI-generated photograph.
The same goes with voice cloning, where victims can be tricked into believing the caller was their loved one or someone they knew.
Scams take many forms and disguises, but the main aim is the same: to gain financial profit at the expense of the victim, who are often too easily fooled into giving away their hard-earned money.
And the consequences in the global economy are stark: in Southeast Asia alone, scammers reportedly amassed $26 billion in various confidence trick schemes in 2024 alone.
With the rise of AI and the growing threat of various kinds of online scams, government agencies are now partnering with various groups to spearhead awareness and knowledge among the public on how to detect and avoid online scams.
Education forum
In San Pedro City, Laguna, over 500 residents representing various sectors were able to understand this growing threat through the Sulong LGUs Program: Building Scam-Ready LGUs and Communities Forum held at the San Pedro Astrodome last October 19.
This program, spearheaded by the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Laguna office, aims to strengthen the awareness and preparedness of local government units, communities and different sectors against scams and online fraud, and empower every participant with the knowledge and skills needed to recognize, prevent, and report fraudulent activities, helping build a safer and more scam-aware community through information dissemination, collaboration, and responsible digital practices.
Other partners in this program included SmartCT, Rappler, ASEAN Foundation, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas – Consumer Account Protection Office (BSP - CAPO), in coordination with the City Government of San Pedro through the Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO), City Tourism, Culture and Arts Office (TCAO), Office of the Mayor, General Services Office (GSO), and DILG San Pedro.
“The program was conducted in coordination with SmartCT and Rappler, featuring their respective initiatives on digital literacy, responsible technology use, and scam awareness, particularly Scam Ready ASEAN [of SmartCT] and Rappler’s #ScamAlert campaign,” Fatima Alon, DILG’s City Local Government Operations Officer (CLGOO) for San Pedro City, said in a message to OpinYon Laguna.
This is the second time SmartCT has partnered with the city government with San Pedro in its various programs and projects towards being a “SmART City.”
“Bago po nito, nakipag-partner na rin po ang SmartCT sa city government of San Pedro, para naman po sa e-Waste program ng pamahalaang lungsod,” Alon told OpinYon Laguna.
The official added that this initiative is just one of the many programs the DILG’s Laguna office have in mind, in partnership with local government units, national government agencies, and partner stakeholders, to address the growing threat of online scams.
“Ang DILG Laguna, kasama ang aming mga partners, ay aktibo sa paglalaganap ng initiative na ito sa pamamagitan ng mas malalim na koordinasyon sa mga kaukulang tanggapan kagaya ng DICT, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas at private sector. Mayroon ding mga dinedevelop na social media posting at iba literacy campaign ukol dito,” Alon said.
Sharing information
Jene Pangue, head of Move.PH, Rappler's community engagement and citizen journalism arm, kickstarted the forum by giving a presentation on spotting online scams, fact-checking information on social media, and recognizing tactics used by manipulators to scam their victims.
The event also saw the launch of Rappler's #ScamAlert chat forum, which is housed on “Muni,” a community-building platform found on Rappler’s free mobile app.
#ScamAlert allows users to share their own personal scam stories and learn the proper lessons and resources to protect themselves from online scammers.
According to Pangue, the #ScamAlert chat forum also allows users to connect directly with authorities and fact-checkers to verify information on social media.
‘Ready na ba ako vs. scammers?’
After that, Kristel Anne Villanueva-Libunao, Executive Director of SmartCT, delivered a talk on understanding online scams and staying safe while online.
Centering on the "universality of online scams" - even sharing that she herself had been a victim of scamming – Villanueva-Libunao stressed the importance of an empowered, literate community in preventing and foiling scamming attempts.
She also introduced the "Scam Ready ASEAN" program, a regional initiative by the ASEAN Foundation and Google.org that aims to help communities in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-countries to protect themselves and one another from scams by promoting awareness, digital confidence, and critical thinking.
Villanueva-Libunao also underscored the importance of digital literacy to combat confidence tricks, especially in today’s world where Internet and social media use has become an integral part of daily life.
“Ang dapat nating tanong ay hindi, ‘Ako ba ay maloloko?’ Sa halip, ang dapat nating tanong ay ‘Ready na ba ako kung sakaling dumating na ang mga sitwasyon [kung saan pwede na akong ma-scam]?” she stressed.
(OpinYon News Team)
PHOTO CAPTION:
San Pedro City, Laguna Mayor Art Mercado (center) joins the Sulong LGUs Program: Building Scam-Ready LGUs and Communities Forum held at the San Pedro Astrodome last October 19. The program was spearheaded by the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Laguna office led by Provincial Officer Jay Beltran (second from right) and private partners as part of efforts to equip ordinary Filipinos with the knowledge to prevent and foil online scamming. Also in the picture is Fatima Alon, DILG’s City Local Government Operations Officer (CLGOO) for San Pedro City (third from right), and Kristel Anne Villanueva-Libunao, Executive Director of SmartCT, one of the guest speakers in the forum (second from left). (Photo courtesy of the San Pedro City Public Affairs and Information Office)
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