My friend, broadcast journalist Joe Javier, posted on his Facebook page how scam artists were able to use his Bank of the Philippine Islands credit card to make fraudulent purchases.

In just a few hours, the thieves—for that is what they are, despite the use of modern technology—used Joe’s card 16 times, including a $1,000 foreign exchange transaction and a purchase amounting to $494.60.

Joe’s troubles started when he received an e-mail purportedly from BPI informing him: “We have recently detected unusual activities from your credit card.”

The sender asked Joe to update “all your credit card informations” or the card would be disabled. The e-mail provided a link to the “BPI” site.

Joe said he “dutifully filled the form out and clicked ‘Submit.’”

A few hours later, the real BPI called to verify transactions made using his card. One of the important things Joe learned from the experience was that the bank would not ask for details in your card like expiry date or security code.

Unfortunately for Joe and fortunately for the thieves, he really had an account with BPI, which was why he thought the e-mail was legitimate.

I also get e-mail like this, but from banks where I do not have accounts, so it is easy to tell they are fraudulent. If I know somebody in the bank that supposedly sent the e-mail, I forward the message so they can deal with it. Otherwise, I ask the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to pass on the e-mail to the bank concerned.

As Citibank repeatedly reminds clients, it will not ask for details in your credit card. Since the bank issued the card, it knows everything on it.

In the event that you receive an e-mail from your bank, like the one Joe received, before doing as you are asked, call up the bank or visit the branch nearest you to verify.

Read the message carefully. Self-respecting institutions take care to ensure their grammar is correct. There is no such thing as
“informations,” but rather “pieces of information.”

I once got a message purportedly from Metrobank, informing me of problems with my account. Even if I have an account with that bank,
I will still be leery of an
e-mail that comes from
“mertobank.”

New fraudulent e-mail

Here are some of the latest attempts through e-mail to con the unsuspecting. A certain Tijani has sent out e-mail purportedly from the Libyan government. The message hints at a “supply contract” and Tijani wants to “discuss a profitable business” with the e-mail recipient.

A person who calls himself Stephen Breslin is quite busy online. He sent an e-mail purportedly from Yahoo! telling the recipient, “Your Account was recently signed in from a unknown Location, please Verify Here for verification to avoid account closure.”

Then the multitasking Breslin sends out another e-mail: “My name is Stephen Breslin. I work with one of the leading Banks here in UK. I have a business Proposal that will be of benefit to the both of us and I shall be compensating you with 40 percent at the final conclusion. If you are interested please reply ASAP for more details.”

Comelec help desks

Voters who registered for the first time or reregistered for the May elections can claim their identification cards at 33 help desk kiosks the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has opened in Robinsons Malls nationwide.

The kiosks will be serving the public Mondays to Fridays, from 10 a.m., until May 9. Comelec personnel manning the kiosks will also answer questions from voters, particularly on the Automated Election System.

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 [email protected].