AS more Filipinos participate in the digital economy, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) emphasizes the need to strengthen digital literacy alongside digital adoption.

With online transactions, services, and opportunities continuing to grow, Filipinos must also stay informed about evolving scams and learn how to identify and respond to potential threats, making digital literacy an important part of building a safer and more trusted digital economy.

The warning comes as scammers increasingly combine familiar social-engineering tactics with technology, from fake online sellers and investment offers to QR phishing, AI-generated payment receipts, and fake applications designed to steal sensitive information.

“Online safety begins with digital literacy. Technology is now a non-negotiable part of everyone’s lives. Communication, entertainment, news, government services, and even finance are all digitized. So as much as we are familiarizing ourselves with how these things work and how it benefits us, we should also arm ourselves with the knowledge of how they can be abused and used for illegal activities, especially with the emergence of artificial intelligence,” said CICC undersecretary Renato “Aboy” Paraiso.

The 2025 anti-scam campaign conducted by the CICC identified several modes of scams, including investment, loan, task, job, prize or rewards, fake seller, fake friend or relative, love, and fake deliveries, among the prevailing schemes targeting Filipinos.

Despite their different disguises, many follow the same pattern. A scammer creates a sense of trust, introduces urgency or an attractive offer, and then pushes the victim to act before checking whether the request is genuine.

CICC has also warned about AI-generated fake payment receipts being used to persuade merchants that a transaction had been completed. Fintech companies advise users to verify payments in the official app, where the actual transaction, reference number, amount, and timestamp can be checked.

Scammers have also impersonated government agencies and companies, using online video calls and fake applications to persuade victims to share their screens or disclose sensitive credentials.

Love scams show another side of the same problem. CICC data cited by one of its partner fintechs recorded 123 complaints in 2025 and 18 in January 2026. The technology involved may be simple, but the manipulation is personal: criminals establish relationships and trust before asking victims for money.

In each case, digital literacy means more than knowing how to use online platforms. It means questioning an unexpected request, checking who is behind it, and recognizing when pressure is being used to bypass normal caution.

Fintech companies have also strengthened their trust & safety systems to detect and disrupt fraudulent activity while working with government agencies on enforcement and information sharing.

Since 2025, the CICC, in cooperation with one of its fintech partners, has blocked more than 3,200 merchants connected to illicit activities. It has also blocked more than 4,900 fraudulent merchants associated with QR phishing schemes, in which QR codes direct users to fraudulent websites or payment pages.

But these measures have limits when a scam succeeds by persuading a user to make the wrong decision.

A customer who takes a moment to verify a caller’s identity, confirm a payment request, or check that a website truly belongs to a trusted company is actively protecting themselves. Security systems are strongest when paired with user awareness, and every small act of questioning helps prevent scams.

CICC is reemphasizing the importance of mindful behavior before any transaction, because informed choices are part of creating a safer digital experience. ▲