Maria Perla Hudtohan is grateful for warnings on “rebates” and “discounts” sent by scam artists.
“I’m 71 years old and it is not easy for me to deal with nuisance messages that come even as early as 1 a.m. I have not reported [the messages] because once I got a message from Globe (official) that charges will be made for reporting of numbers. I find this unfair!” she said.
Responding to her e-mail, Globe Telecom senior vice president for corporate communications Yoly Crisanto stressed: “Calls to 211 or the hotline 7301000 are toll free and free of charge.”
I hope Hudtohan reads this and will now report those annoying messages that not only try to scam people but are also sent any time of day or night.
Incidentally, Globe has announced it would be sending out validation text messages for Share-A-Load transactions. Customers doing a Share-A-Load transaction would get a validation text message or a request for confirmation before the load share would be finalized.
Globe said: “The validation message reads as follows: ‘You are about to share PXXX load with 0916XXXXXXX. Reply YES within five minutes to proceed. P1/transaction. Report text scams to www.globe.com.ph/stopspam.’ The validation message would come from 2652xxxxxxxxx where the last nine digits are the transaction number. Replying to the message is free of charge.”
Those who fail to reply on time would get this message: “We’re sorry, but your Share-A-Load/Promo transaction has been canceled because the response time exceeded five minutes.”
Globe has also reduced the maximum amount for Share-A-Load transaction to P150 for prepaid customers and P300 for postpaid customers.
Crisanto urged Globe customers to immediately report through www.globe.com.ph/stopspam and provide all the details required. They could also report via the Globe website through Talk2Globe Chat (https://chat.globe.com.ph); send a message through Globe Contact Form (https://globe.com.ph/
talk2Globenow) and by tweeting @Talk2GLOBE on Twitter. Subscribers should include the number, exact message received and time and date it was received.
Globe said it had blocked almost a thousand numbers for spamming activities. “Aside from deactivating mobile numbers used in sending text spams, Globe has been actively reporting spamming cases to the National Telecommunications Commission [and] has asked [NTC] to impose sanctions against spammers through fines and penalties…”
If you receive scam messages, do not ignore them. Report them so the numbers can be blocked. New subscriber’s identity module (SIM) cards may be cheap but it cannot be much fun if they have to be changed every day or two.
Extensive buffet
On another topic, I recently tried the buffet at Vikings in SM Mall of Asia. I was impressed by the number of people, many of them young men, waiting outside for tables.
When I saw the extensive spread, I quickly understood why the young men were so eager to eat there. They probably found everything worth the price.
Although Vikings charges an amount higher than buffets in other restaurants, it costs much less than what five-star hotels charge.
Moreover, while five-star hotels usually do not include drinks in the buffet price, Viking’s rates include juices and, I think, even sodas.
Beer and alcoholic beverages, however, are not part of the package.
Vikings has some special offers, such as people aged 75 and above pay only half the price; and birthday celebrants eat for free provided, of course, they are accompanied by paying customers.
Send letters to The Consumer, Lifestyle Section, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1098 Chino Roces Ave. cor. Mascardo and Yague Sts., 1204 Makati City; fax 8974793/94; or e-mail lbolido@inquirer.com.ph.