According to the Department of Justice ( DOJ), phishing, online scams, and “fake news” about the pandemic have emerged as the most prevalent crime in the world. At the same time, it is under quarantine.
“Based on the reports of law enforcement authorities from March to June 2020, there were the top three most prevalent crimes in the Philippines. They were phishing, online sales scams, and proliferating misinformation. It tends to cause fear among the public,” said Justice Undersecretary Mark Perete, who heads the DOJ’s anti-cybercrime division.
Complaints against online misinformation and supposedly false information about the pandemic also surpassed reports of children’s online sexual abuse. It surged during the lockdown.
“As of the most recent report, there are more cases of phishing, web fraud and [punishable] false news under Bayanihan law in absolute numbers than cases of [web child sexual abuse],” Perete said.
Tricking People
RA 11649 granted President Rodrigo Duterte emergency powers.
It was including the authority to realign the national budget in response to the health crisis. And also, the economic fallout from the pandemic. The Bayanihan law lapsed early this month.
In phishing, fraudsters trick individuals through emails, calls, or text messages into revealing their bank and credit card details. And then, passwords, and other personal information. Those aims to steal their money and do illegal transactions.
Scammers, who pretend to be legitimate online sellers, manage to trick people who have resorted to buying groceries. In addition, other items through the internet due to the lockdown.
The Bayanihan law penalizes those who spread “false information about the COVID-19 (new coronavirus disease) crisis on social media and other platforms … to promote chaos, panic, anarchy, fear, or confusion.”
It also penalizes those who “participat(e) in cyber incidents. The crime is to make use or take advantage of the current crisis situation. It also aims to prey on the public through scams, phishing, fraudulent emails, or other similar acts.”
Increase ‘Expected’
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said the increase in cybercrimes was “expected” so law enforcement agencies had to beef up their cybercrime units during the pandemic.
“[W]here direct personal interactions are reduced, more crimes will be committed in cyberspace,” he said.
Guevarra said it was “imperative that law enforcement agencies beef up their cybercrime units, upgrade their technologies, and enhance their investigative capabilities.”
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