Cellphone Scam, Tricks, Bogus Texts, Instant Money, etc

Your cellphone number won P950, 000 via electronic raffle...

It still never fails to make my heart jump a half-second. Imagine being in an ordinary day, sighing to yourself and wishing that you'd get a brand new LCD TV this Christmas plus a loft condominium next year. Imagine that in the middle of your musings, you'd suddenly receive a message on your phone that says you've won nearly a million. How does that feel?

It feels even worse to realize that it's just a fake ray of hope. A mirage in the desert. However you stare at those big numbers, you only wish it were true and not some cell phone scam that only extorts than give.

How Do You Know it's a SCAM?

1. The number from which the message came from is an ordinary cellphone number. Legitimate raffle draws will send messages from a different number such as 2888, 411, etc. It does not matter if it has a series number, DTI number or if it uses a popular name such as the vice president or Manny Pacquiao... as long as it came from an ordinary cellphone number, forget it.
   
2. The message will ask you to call. If you really won, they will be calling you not the other way around.
3. The message asks you to claim the prize immediately. Legitimate promos usually have 60 days claiming period.
4. The message asks you to pay for something. Text scams usually do not say this at first. It usually happens in the 2nd-3rd exchange or during the call. Winners don't need to pay for anything first before claiming the prize.
5. The message said you won in a raffle you never joined. As you'll never win the lottery if you've never bought a ticket.

Let's not be too greedy in life, however deprived we are of life's comforts. Sometimes we tend to jump to seemingly great opportunities, not knowing that they are only traps to further downfall. Wisdom is priceless.

Tips from DTI on avoiding text scams

Posted in: scams