The banking public should be wary against the prevalence of text or SMS hijacking, a type of scam wherein fraudsters impersonate legitimate SMS senders to dupe recipients into believing that the messages they receive are authentic.

According to reports from law enforcement agencies, illegal cellular sites, also known as International Mobile Subscriber Identity catchers, are using sender IDs of trusted brands like BDO to make scam texts appear legit.

These spoofed messages usually entice clients with claims of prizes won, free gifts, or claims of account problems. In all these cases, the scammer instructs the client to click on a link included in the spoofed message.

Once clicked, the fake link will lead to a fake website, wherein the victim will be instructed to enter his/her account details including username, password and One-Time PIN or OTP. After this information has been shared, the scammer will then use these bank credentials to gain access to the victim's bank account and steal their money.

BDO stressed that it will never send messages with clickable links to its clients. Furthermore, the Bank shared the following tips to avoid being scammed by SMS hijacking:

• Never click on links. BDO will NEVER send links. If the message has a link, it’s a SCAM!
• Never share personal information via SMS
• Be wary of unsolicited messages that offer deals that seem too good to be true

BDO also advised its clients to report and forward any suspicious messages to 22567888.