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Cybercriminals continue to prey on Filipino job-seekers. Here’s why

May 30, 2022 2:42 p.m.

If money is what motivates cybercriminals to trick, swindle and steal, then why are they targeting job-seekers who are supposedly income-less and are themselves in need of money?

Job scams have been around for a long time. But it’s getting extra attention lately as Filipinos report receiving way more job invitations through text messages than ever before. These unsolicited job offers promise unbelievably generous earnings in exchange for seemingly easy work that is too tempting to not even try.

Smishing examples

Official statistics reveal that as of March 2022, there are 3.13 million unemployed Filipinos and 7.42 million underemployed or those who have jobs but are still looking for other sources of income.

According to a job report, about 49% of Filipinos are now keen to work remotely due to pandemic concerns such as health and safety. For scammers, this is a goldmine they just wouldn’t miss taking advantage of. 

Personal information such as name, birthday, phone number, email address are already valuable — it can actually cost up to $10 on the dark web, according to Kaspersky data. 

Once in the hands of fake job recruiters a.k.a. cybercriminals, these data can then be sold or traded to other cybercriminals or companies.

Scammers will also use these data to commit other cybercrimes such as identity theft or to infect your device with malicious software (malware) to steal more data stored in it. 

Cybercriminals also play on a job seeker’s desperation to make money immediately. In the Philippines, most job scams include having the victim send money to the fake recruiter to pay for “registration fees” or to get  “commissions” or “bonuses” with higher returns as long as the victim tops up. 

“By now, people are already aware of the standard red flags of fake job offers sent via email such as the sender’s address, layout, etc. More or less we know how to recognize and avoid it so scammers have changed their delivery mode to text/SMS,” said Yeo Siang Tiong, general manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky. 

“There is also a lowered expectation of danger in text messages so it’s less scrutinized by the receiver, which means the scam is likely to succeed. When an unsuspecting person gets a message like a job offer with an irresistible pay, she is likely to disregard her mental checklist of warning signs and just click through,” he added.

Yeo also advises companies to take necessary measures to protect their brand and reputation from scammers who exploit their corporate identity and information for fake job offers.

Possible reputational losses can be avoided by having the company website, which lists contact details (such as for HR), audited for vulnerabilities. 

Kaspersky offers the following tips to job-hunters to help you avoid falling victim to this kind of scam:

  1. Limit job searches to official sources.
  2. Do not respond nor click on links if they come from people or organizations you don’t know. Replying simply confirms to the sender that your phone number is active. 
  3. Install a trusted security solution with fraud and phishing protection and follow its recommendations. This will solve most of the problems automatically and alert you if necessary. Remember, personal vigilance is not enough when dealing with sophisticated scam methods used by cybercriminals. 
  4. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA). A common variant is a two-factor authentication (2FA) which often uses a text message verification code while a stronger variant includes using a dedicated app for verification (like Google Authenticator).
  5. Check the company’s official website for open vacancies matching your job skills. 
  6. Check contact information on companies’ official websites. If needed, send an email to the company to verify if the person who contacted you actually works there. 
  7. Be wary of offers to discuss a job or hold an interview in secret chats where messages are encrypted, cannot be forwarded and which alerts the participants if anyone takes a screenshot.
  8. Make an additional phone call to the company to ensure that the job offer is legitimate. 
  9. Review your job offer for possible mistakes: carefully check the company name or job title and responsibilities. 
  10. Report all SMS phishing attempts to designated authorities. 

What to do if you become a victim? Limit the damage with these important steps:

1. Report to any institutions that could assist.

2. Change all passwords and account PINs where possible.

3. Monitor finances, credit and other online accounts for strange login locations and other activities.  

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NEWS

Satisfy your cravings with these best-selling Nanyang drinks

September 15, 2023 3:30 p.m.

Nanyang isn’t only known for its Laksa Prawn, Cheesy Chicken Chop Noodles and Singapore’s best selling Hainanese Chicken Rice and Kopi.

It also has several best-selling drinks to whet your appetite and satisfy your sweet tooth, such as Iced Teh Melaka, Kopi Jelly Milk Tea, Milo Dinosaur and Kopi O.

Head over to your nearest Nanyang branches nationwide.

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USA back on top; Germany takes Top 3 spot in FIBA World Ranking

September 15, 2023 1:28 p.m.

MIES (Switzerland) – The recent completion of the prestigious FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 has produced some eye-catching positive climbs in the latest FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike.

USA reclaim pole position with 786.6 points after benefiting from their consistency at major tournaments over the last three summers. Finishing in fourth place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup where they outperformed former number one nation Spain, their run to the Semi-Finals came off the back of winning an Olympic title at Tokyo in 2021 and also taking bronze at the FIBA AmeriCup 2022. 

Recently crowned FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 champions Germany have another slice of history to enjoy as they step into the top three of the rankings for the very first time after moving up a massive eight places and onto 759.7 points. Their stunning success made all the more incredible because of the fact they made the journey to the top step of the podium without tasting defeat. 

Canada also have another reason to celebrate too, with their maiden FIBA Basketball World Cup medal fueling an even bigger rise of nine spots. They now occupy sixth position with 745.5 points. 

Serbia performed in outstanding fashion to make the title game and their second-placed finish gave their fans something to be proud of. Those supporters can also now enjoy and reflect on their country being a top five nation again as they move up a place and into fifth position on 755.6 points.

Meanwhile, when it comes to the scale and impact of climbing the rankings in the upper echelon, nobody can match Latvia. They have rocketed up a staggering 22 places and into the top 10 after their heroic underdog displays which ensured they took fifth place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. They now sit in 8th position on 743.7 points.

There were many other teams who impressed at the flagship event, including Brazil who recorded three wins in five games and moves up a place into 12th in the rankings on 660.5 points. The Americas region can also boast a nice move upwards of five places into 16th for Puerto Rico on 611.1 points, while Dominican Republic rise six spots into 18th place on 561.9 points.

There were also notable improvements for Georgia who move up 10 positions and into 23rd on 465.9 points, Japan jump 11 spots to 26th on 432.2 points and Lebanon claim an uplift of 16 places into 28th on 423.3.

One nation that truly made everyone sit up and take notice at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 were first-timers South Sudan. They made history by beating China to claim a first win at the event, then pushing on to beat the Philippines and Angola. This has resulted in a sensational climb of 32 spots in the rankings. They now find themselves in 31st place with 375.5 points.

For more information about the method used in the calculation of the FIBA World Ranking Men, please refer to the “How It Works” section.

Click here to view the full FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike.

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NEWS

Craving Singaporean food? Nanyang’s got your back

Sept. 13, 2023 4:14 p.m.

Craving for Laksa Prawn, Cheesy Chicken Chop Noodles and Singapore’s best selling Hainanese Chicken Rice and Kopi?

Head over to your nearest Nanyang branches nationwide

Cheesy Chicken Pop Noodles
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Kopi
Laksa Fishball
Laksa Prawn

WEBSITE: http://nanyang.com.ph

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/NanyangPh

INSTAGRAM: @nanyangph

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