(Lower row, left to right) Joy Lapuz, Stakeholder Management – Luzon Relations Head; Clarisse Aquino, Project Officer, Coalition of Services of the Elderly
PLDT and its wireless unit, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) enable senior citizens to identify scams and other online fraudulent schemes through the #CyberSmart program.
“Many of our elderly are not tech-savvy. PLDT and Smart, through our IDEATe program, empower vulnerable sectors like our senior citizens to use technology for their daily activities. One of our modules is CyberSmart where we teach participants how to protect themselves online,” said Stephanie Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Management at PLDT and Smart.
In observance of the Safer Internet Day in February, Elijah Mendoza, Senior Manager for Digital Communications at PLDT and Smart, shared red flags on some criminal schemes in an episode of the webinar – Senior Citizen TIPS (Time for Information and Public Service) – hosted by the Coalition of Services of the Elderly, Inc.
“The most important thing to remember is to be mindful of what you do online. Take the time to go over what you read, see, and hear before reacting. Remember, hackers are after your data,” reminded Mendoza.
He noted that criminals can easily obtain personal records through oversharing. To be safe, Mendoza cautioned against posting about one’s birthday, daily routine, names of children or relatives or pets. He said that these information are often used to answer security questions.
Mendoza also warned participants about phishing or attempts to dupe victims into revealing sensitive personal data through emails, SMS, or voice calls. Threat actors can scale up their nefarious activities by using available Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to craft convincing phishing messages that mimic communication patterns to evade security measures. As a rule, he discouraged participants from answering messages or calls if they’re unsure of the sender or caller.
With the rise of online financial fraud, Mendoza also underscored the importance of not sharing one-time passwords or OTPs that banking apps or digital wallets send. He said that even bank agents do not ask for OTPs.
“Electronic communication has become indispensable – from buying food, booking rides, supplication for government IDs, to banking. There are opportunities for criminals to scam us. That’s why it is important that we learn how to secure our data. Everybody needs to be CyberSmart,” said Floro Francisco, President of Seniors for Seniors Association, Inc.
Since 2017, the PLDT Group has been promoting digital inclusion of underserved communities, through the upskilling of senior citizens, farmers and fisherfolk, indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities. The efforts of the group to share CyberSmart tips are rooted in their customer-centric culture where they aim to elevate the quality of customer experience by protecting them from threats and cyber-attacks. Aside from promoting the CyberSmart culture, the PLDT Group has also kept customers secure from cyber-attacks by preventing attempts to open malicious domains, and blacklisting malicious URLs and links tied to phishing, spams, hoaxes and other illegal activities.
The PLDT Group’s CyberSmart and IDEATe programs aim to contribute to the achievement of UNSDG #9: which promotes inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fosters innovation; and UNSDG #10: which aims to reduce Inequalities by empowering and promoting the social, economic and political inclusion of all, including persons with disabilities.