Ben Madilynn
MANILA – The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Wednesday warned the public against scammers using a fake Facebook account in the guise of its attached agency, the Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM), to solicit online investments.
“A fake Facebook page posing as the official account of Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) has been found circulating scam content that falsely links the agency to an online investment scheme,” the PCO said in a statement.
“The fraudulent page copied RTVM’s official name and profile picture, mimicking the look of a legitimate government page to deceive users. The posts on the fake page encouraged the public to participate in supposed investment opportunities, which is a common tactic in online fraud,” it added.
The PCO said the RTVM’s legitimate Facebook page has verified blue badge found on legitimate government pages, while the impostor account is not verified, has low follower and engagement metrics, and contains content outside of the state-run agency’s official scope.
RTVM already disowned the unverified Facebook account with misleading contents, calling on the public to be vigilant against fraudulent pages or individuals disguising as the agency.
It clarified that it “does not, and will never engage in such malicious acts,” stressing that it will never “solicit or accept any form of monetary contribution or financial participation from the public.”
“We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience that this may have caused,” RTVM said in a Facebook post. “RTVM urges everyone to be vigilant and critical when consuming online contents, particulary from unverified and unofficial social media accounts.”
The PCO urged the public to follow only verified government pages to get accurate information.
It also encouraged them to always look for the blue check mark signifying a verified page; check for official links, post history, and consistent branding; and report suspicious accounts directly through Facebook’s platform.
“The PCO is also calling on social media platforms to strengthen their systems for detecting and removing impostor pages, especially those exploiting the names of public institutions,” it said.
“The public is advised to report any misleading or potentially harmful content and remain cautious of unsolicited messages that promise returns or ask for financial contributions,” the PCO added. (PNA)
Source: “Fake RTVM Account Scams Public”
