MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has cautioned the public against individuals and groups offering assistance in accessing or downloading the Digital National ID, warning that these scams often involve phishing attempts via messaging apps such as WhatsApp.

“The PSA reiterates that such offers and messages ARE NOT from the agency,” the PSA said in a statement.

The agency urged citizens to remain vigilant and avoid clicking on suspicious links, particularly those mimicking official government websites like https://idphil.net. 

It also advised against responding to messages or video calls related to the fraudulent schemes.

Cybercrime on the rise

The warning comes as cybercrime incidents in the Philippines continue to surge. Data from the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) revealed that cybercrime complaints more than tripled in 2024, with 10,004 cases filed compared to 3,317 in 2023.

CICC Executive Director Undersecretary Alexander Ramos reported that the total financial losses from cybercrimes reached nearly P198 million last year.

He attributed the sharp increase in complaints to the growing public awareness of cyber threats and an increased willingness to report incidents.

Of the total cases, consumer fraud accounted for 3,534 complaints, or 35 percent, including scams involving non-delivery of goods and fake advertisements. 

Online fraud followed closely, with 3,242 complaints (32 percent), covering financial fraud, job scams, investment scams, and love scams. Other reported offenses included phishing, identity theft, unsolicited communication, illegal access, sexual cybercrimes, and cyberlibel.

GCash, BPI, and other financial platforms targeted

Ramos also revealed that GCash was the most frequently used e-wallet by victims of cyber fraud, with reported losses reaching P76.49 million. Other affected financial platforms included BPI (P28.47 million), GoTyme (PHP15.38 million), and PayMaya (P13.99 million).

Authorities are urging the public to remain cautious when dealing with online transactions and to verify the legitimacy of websites and messages before providing personal information.