Fraud Awareness 101: Phishing, Fake Websites, and More!

Let’s face it—staying safe online isn’t as simple as it used to be. Scammers have gotten sneakier, using phishing emails, fake websites, and other clever tricks to catch people off guard. But here’s the good news: you can outsmart them with a bit of knowledge and awareness. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the most common fraud schemes, how they work, and, most importantly, how to protect yourself. Let’s dive in! 

Phishing is when a scammer creates a message (through email, voice call, or text message) pretending to be from a reputable institution to get personal information. During a phishing attempt, victims are tricked into clicking on a link, opening an attachment, or giving personal or card information. 

To prevent being a victim of this modus, don’t open or respond to emails or texts from unknown senders or callers especially those labeled as Spam Messages. Do not click online advertisements and pop-ups to avoid being redirected to unknown websites. Always check if the website has a padlock icon on the URL address. 

Wrong grammar, suspicious fonts, and typo errors could be strong indications that an email or message is a scam. If you think an email, call or text is phishing, contact the company’s customer service to check if the information regarding the message is true. 

Fake websites are illegitimate internet websites that might pass as authentic pages but are designed to deceive users into fraud or malicious attacks. They can come in different forms – a copycat of a legitimate institution, a phishing website, or an online shopping website – but ultimately, they all serve the same purpose and that is to steal your personal information and hard-earned money. 

In order to keep ourselves safe in the digital space, it’s also our responsibility to take precautionary measures so here are some helpful tips to avoid being a victim of fake websites: 

• Don’t click on strange-looking links 
• Shop or transact on familiar websites 
• Look for the red flags 
• Never give out your card or account information 

Please take note that Home Credit Philippines has two official websites: the main site, https://www.homecredit.ph/, and Shopping Mall Philippines by Home Credit, https://www.shoppingmall.ph, where you can browse installment deals for gadgets, appliances, furniture, and more. 

Other websites with a different link format are invalid. Make sure not to do any transactions or enter any personal information if it is not within the Home Credit official websites. 

Home Credit aims to ensure that clients won’t be a victim to any of these fake website scams by providing reminders from time to time. Make sure to read those to prevent yourself from getting scammed. To stay updated in real-time, you can download the Home Credit App on Google Play and Apple App Store.