I got two e-mail messages recently with “bad” news.

The first message told me my account and card had been “disabled” by Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. because they had “introduced a new RCBC (123 N1) security which requires all Account Holders to update and validate their account (sic).”

I would have been in a panic except for the fact I did not have—and never had—an account with RCBC. It was also curious that the e-mail originated from the United States, when I know that RCBC is Filipino-born and bred, so to speak. With the font and colors it used, the e-mail looked quite impressive and authentic.

A few days later, I received another e-mail, purportedly from BancNet. The message was suspiciously similar to the one from RCBC. I was told that my bank had deactivated my account and card because of the introduction of a new “BancNet (BN-IOC 11) 2012 security which requires all banks and it’s (sic) customers to validate their ATM and Account.” I was told I had to reactivate my account through a web address to keep it from being totally deactivated.

And what do you know? When I read the whole message, it originated from the same address that told me my RCBC account had been deactivated.

I passed on both e-mails to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, prompting Deputy Governor Nestor Espenilla to reiterate the agency’s advice to the public to “stay vigilant.”

Like me, Espenilla suspects these messages are “phishing” attempts—scams to get people to provide information that keeps their bank accounts secure. He said, “Basic rule is to safeguard passwords, PINs (personal identification numbers) and personal data as if they’re cash. Be wary.”

I would add that, if you get messages like these, do not respond to the e-mail but call up your bank or visit its nearest branch and check if the request is legitimate. While the Internet has made a lot of things convenient, it has also made it easier for scammers to victimize innocent people.

Not every news I got recently was bad. I also received a message supposedly from London that I won a Nokia phone in a raffle. But since I do not have a Nokia phone, I found it hard to believe I was that lucky. Besides, I do not even win in raffles I join.

Will it get better?

SkyCable has bought my cable service provider, Global Destiny. I really had no major complaints about Global’s service. For a small company, it was providing decent service and it was quick to act on complaints.

After it was taken over by a big company, I had high expectations. I naturally assumed I would see a significant improvement in reception. So far, I have been disappointed. I don’t know if this is just another of those situations, where things have to get worse before they get better.

It has been more than a month since SkyCable became my service provider but, so far, I have yet to experience a completely problem-free viewing day. Either the channel I’m watching has no sound or the signal is poor or nonexistent. Quite often, there is nothing to watch at all as signal is lost completely.

Loyalty rewards

The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and Philippine Airlines (PAL) have teamed up to give their customers more reward options for patronizing the two companies. By using BPI Express Credit MasterCard and My ePrepaid MasterCard, bank clients can earn Mabuhay Miles points they can use for domestic or international travel.

For as low as 5,000 points, BPI cardholders can already redeem Mabuhay Miles. Ask BPI or PAL for more details.

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].