NEWS
Top 3 things Filipinos do after falling victim to a digital scam or fraud
February 16, 2022 12:38 p.m.
Experts always advise that if one realizes becoming a victim of an online financial scam or fraud, the first thing to do is to call the bank or service company that the money was sent through.
Notifying the proper institutions promptly is crucial to hopefully get the funds back, avoid further losses and protect oneself from repeat incidents.
In a survey commissioned by Kaspersky on digital payment systems among Southeast Asian users, Filipino respondents showed certain preferences in such a situation.
For 65% of those who participated in the survey, they said changing the passwords on their bank/digital wallet accounts and apps were top of the list.
On the other hand, half (51%) of surveyed Filipino victims of online scammers and fraudsters admitted that informing their family and friends of what happened was what they did before anything else.
Meanwhile, 43% said contacting their bank or financial service company to report the incident was their immediate course of action.
In a country where cash is still king, the recurrent lockdown measures have prompted Filipinos to rely on mobile payment apps and digital wallets for their daily financial transactions.
In the same survey, 54% of Filipino respondents appear to be somewhat confident that electronic banking and e-wallet platforms are very secure that they use these services at least several times a week.
According to local survey participants, they choose digital payments to transfer money to family and friends, pay for utilities, and shop online, in that order.
“We can glean from this data that Filipinos draw strength from their family during a crisis particularly where there’s potential loss of money. This may explain why they make calls to their families and friends before anything else rather than swiftly report their circumstance to the proper authorities,” said Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.
“Unfortunately, the likelihood of failing to claim the funds back plus a heightened emotional stress would be higher in this scenario because of the delay in seeking help from financial institutions,” he cautions.
“This is where prevention is essential. The detection of a scam or fraud early on in the transaction means less headache for you and your family and your hard-earned money stays intact,” Yeo adds.
Apart from using a strong password, enabling all security features of the device and apps, and keeping an eye on red flags, Yeo said practicing good cyber hygiene includes considering dependable software protection even before an unfortunate event takes place and not after encountering an incident.
Kaspersky Total Security (KTS) is among the solutions available in the market today. This is Kaspersky’s premium product that offers a complete, family-oriented defense against cyberthreats.
KTS is bundled with a virtual private network (VPN) so you are assured that your online actions are not logged and hackers are prevented from reading your emails, photos and bank details. It has a Password Manager that generates strong passwords for you and will help you track multiple passwords which are all secured in a private vault, away from the prying eyes of cybercriminals.
The Safe Money feature of KTS is exactly what regular users of financial services would find beneficial as it protects one’s money, identity and privacy.
With a KTS installed in a device, payments are made via an encrypted browser so that financial data is not intercepted by hackers while you shop and bank online. It also comes with an extra security feature for locking Android apps and locating Android mobile devices.
It has an Anti-Hacking capability that prevents unauthorized access and hijacking of your Android device and suspicious activities are blocked instantly. It has a Malicious Link Detector that analyzes links on webpages you open and alerts you of the malicious web address based on their threat level. The advanced Anti-Malware feature of KTS neutralizes threats including spyware, adware, keyloggers, spear phishing and hard-to-detect fileless attacks.
Kaspersky Total Security is compatible with PC and Mac computers as well as iOS and Android devices. It retails for P1,390 for a one-year license for one device. KTS is currently available in all leading IT stores nationwide, including Lazada and Shopee.
Vaccinated customers can also enjoy GCash or PayMaya credits for every purchase of Kaspersky Total Security. All they need to do is to present their vaccination card to participating stores. Full promo mechanics are available here.
Promo runs from February 15 to March 15, 2022.
NEWS
SM Prime explores potential partnership with Japanese firm for waste-to-fuel solutions
September 25, 2023 12:39 p.m.
Shown here are (from left) SM Supermalls Vice President Liza Silerio, SM Prime Chairman of the Executive Committee Hans T. Sy, GUUN Chief Executive Officer Shinji Fujieda, GUUN Philippine Branch Senior Managing Director and General Manager Takeshi Konishi
Leading real estate developer in Southeast Asia, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan’s GUUN Co. Ltd. to explore a potential partnership to implement waste management solutions by recycling waste paper and plastics as an alternative source of energy called ‘fluff fuel’.
Fluff Fuels are one type of RDF (Refuse Derived Fuel) which are produced from shredded and compressed plastics, papers, and fibers. These are used as fuels in cement manufacturing, paper mill companies, or power companies in Japan.
SM Prime Chairman of the Executive Committee Hans T. Sy is positive that a partnership with GUUN will contribute to the waste reduction goals of the country. “Today, Japan’s waste management and recycling technology is among the most advanced in the world,” he said. “There is no better partner for SM because we do not just talk about being big, we make sure we do it; we do not talk about being environment friendly but we do take bold steps to save the environment. I am looking forward to growing with GUUN as among leaders in solving environmental issues in the Philippines.”
GUUN Co., Ltd., founded in March 2001 and headquartered in Yokohama City, Japan, piloted the production of fluff fuel from plastic waste in Inayawan, Cebu in 2014 and recently inaugurated its P200-million, 2,400-square meter waste recycling plant in Tayud, Consolacion, Cebu.
Since then, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment has adopted GUUN’s waste-to-fuel technology as a model for advanced low-carbon technology innovation for further deployment in developing countries.
“This will be a milestone partnership for us,” GUNN Chief Executive Officer Shinji Fujieda said after the signing ceremony. “I understand very much how important waste management is for SM and for the Philippines and we look forward to more projects we can do with the properties of SM Prime.”
SM Prime’s initiatives for waste management include waste reduction and effective waste collection and segregation. Over the years, it has implemented programs such as Trash to Cash, Plastic Waste Collection, and E-Waste Collection that have contributed to reducing the total solid waste generation across its real estate portfolio.
Through its pioneering Trash to Cash recycling market, SM Prime has collected and recycled 1.4M kg of plastics, paper, metals, and others in 2022. “We have saved 16,766 trees from the 986,222 kg of paper recycled,” SM Prime disclosed in its 2022 Integrated Report to shareholders.
Meanwhile, SM’s Plastic Waste Collection program, a partnership with the Plastic Credit Exchange that was launched in February 2021, has accumulated 42,541kg of plastic waste from 14 mall sites. Also present in all its 83 SM Supermalls is the E-Waste Collection program for the responsible disposal of WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment). This drive has helped process close to 7,000 kilograms of e-waste. (ENDS)
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.
NEWS
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.
SM Prime explores potential partnership with Japanese firm for waste-to-fuel solutions
Satisfy your cravings with these best-selling Nanyang drinks
USA back on top; Germany takes Top 3 spot in FIBA World Ranking
Ateneo gives PBA guest team fits in 102-93 loss
First in Manila! All immersive experiences lead to SM with its 3D Whale Shark billboard, Space Tunnel, Golden Gateway, dazzling light shows
