PUBLIC ADVISORY

E-Mail Scam Using Name of Philippine Embassies

The Philippine Embassy in Tehran would like to reiterate the Department of Foreign Affairs' warning against the new email scam circulating and victimizing individuals especially overseas Filipinos using the name of the Philippine Embassy or other Philippine representations abroad.

The modus operandi involves sending e-mails to unsuspecting victims informing them that their email account has won a substantial cash prize. The syndicate then requests for personal details of the recipient and then requires the recipient to remit money to a particular bank account, supposedly as payment for application fees, taxes and other processing fees.

In the latest incident involving Filipino nationals being targeted by these syndicates, an overseas Filipino working in Saipan received an e-mail from a "Mr. Terry Martins", supposedly working at the Philippine Embassy in Oman as Head Customer Care Service, using the email: muscatpe@omantel.net.com, informing him that he won a substantial cash prize.

The DFA would like to inform the public that there is no such Mr. Terry Martins working at the Philippine Embassy in Muscat and to disregard any email received from the said individual or email address.

The public is further advised not to send any money, or divulge personal information, particularly bank accounts or credit card numbers in case similar e-mails from the said address or similar addresses are received.  They may refer such e-mail messages to the Cybercrimes Division, National Bureau of Investigation and the Anti-Money Laundering Council, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

To view more of the public advisory of the Department of Foreign Affairs, please click this link: http://dfa.gov.ph/main/index.php/advisory/public-advisory.