Your phone rings. It’s an unregistered number, but you answer it anyway thinking it could be an emergency. An enthusiastic voice on the other end introduces herself as so and so from your bank, and excitedly tells you’ve just won P50,000! You don’t recall entering any contests, but the excitement bubbles up.
And the, the “representative” from your credit card company asks for your details to “verify” your identity—your credit card number, CVV, and even your One-Time Pin (OTP).
Hold on! Before you spill your personal information, be aware: this is a classic vishing scam, a cunning tactic used by fraudsters to steal your hard-earned money.
Vishing, or voice phishing, involves scammers impersonating legitimate representatives from trusted organizations, such as banks. They use urgency, excitement, or even fear to pressure victims into divulging sensitive information, which will then be used to make fraudulent transactions on your account.
Don’t be a victim. Here are some useful tips from Metrobank that can help you protect yourself from falling for the fake:
- When in doubt, hang up ASAP! Always verify calls coming from unknown numbers claiming to be a representative of an institution, especially your bank. When in doubt, hang up and directly call the company they claim to represent through the hotlines listed on their official pages.
- Keep your personal information to yourself. This includes your financial information, credit card details, and One-Time Pin (OTP). When a caller claiming to be from a bank asks for your One-Time Pin (OTP), this is an immediate red flag and a sign to end the conversation. If you’re a Metrobank customer, enabling the AppKey feature on your Metrobank app can help make your transactions more secure. This safety feature utilizes your biometrics, or your fingerprint or facial recognition, to confirm transactions, instead of One-Time Pins (OTP).
- Be wary of promos that are too good to be true. Be vigilant about callers pressuring you to accept a promo or offer in exchange of a cash reward or extravagant prize. While some offers may be real, be careful—especially if they ask for your personal or bank information.
- Block and report to authorities. When you get a suspicious call, block the number right away and report it to authorities. If you are a Metrobank client, make sure to immediately contact Metrobank’s Hotline at (02) 88-700-700 to report the incident and do any precautionary measures needed.
