PLDT and Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) are urging the public to exercise caution when dealing with emails or messages, especially during the holiday season, as authorities anticipate a surge in online scams.
The Cyber Security Operations Group (CSOG) of PLDT and Smart emphasize the importance of examining emails thoroughly before responding or clicking on any embedded links, noting the escalating sophistication of cyber criminals, who now leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to craft more convincing messages.
If you receive a dubious or malicious message, take a screenshot, and send it to cybersecurityincidents@smart.com.ph. You can likewise report other cybersecurity matters like phishing, vishing, and malicious domains though this channel.
“AI-crafted emails contain more polished, personalized messages that imitate the writing style of humans,” said Angel Redoble, FVP and chief information security officer at PLDT, Smart and ePLDT. “The emails also contain authentic-looking visual cues that trick victims into believing that they are reading official messages from their banks or organizations.”
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Referring to a preliminary study by SoSafe, a Germany-based cybersecurity awareness training provider, CSOG highlights that individuals are more susceptible to disclosing personal information when targeted by AI-generated phishing messages.
Inspecting emails carefully
Citing an initial study of Germany-based cybersecurity awareness training service provider SoSafe, PLDT and Smart’s CSOG said victims are more likely to reveal their personal information through phishing messages authored by AI.
“The most important thing is to know who the email is from,” Redoble emphasized. “Remembering the very basic rule of not talking to strangers can protect people from being victimized by scammers.”
Remaining committed to safeguarding customers from cyber threats, the PLDT Group thwarted nearly 17 billion attempts to access malicious domains in the first eleven months of 2023. This effort involved blacklisting over five million malicious URLs and links associated with phishing, spams, hoaxes, and illegal activities. Additionally, during the same period, more than 60 million SMShing messages were blocked from reaching Smart customers. Smart also identified and blacklisted over 290,000 mobile numbers involved in nefarious activities from its network between January and November.