Cellphone Scam: Know How SMS Scammers Try to Steal Your Money
Actual Example of Globe Text Message in the Philippines
One service given by Smart Communications is the Pasaload, which enables a person to send load or credit to another subscriber so the latter may use his/her cellphone. Globe Telecom also has its own version. You have to type the amount PIN then send to 2 + 10 digit cellphone number.
On May 5, 2008, I received a message from +639158900369 stating:
"1/2 You have just been loaded P150 by 09158900369. P150 load will expire in 18 day(s). Trace# 914036895. To send load,txt to 2+10digit ce - +639158900369"
"2/2 To share Globe UNLITXT or TM Todo Text, send to 2+10digit cell#.P1/txt.WIN load!Txt COOL to 2929! P2.5/logo - +639158900369"
After a few seconds, this message arrived:
"Gd'pm.Pls send return in back d 150pesos load that u reciv via share a load. Ngkamali lang kse yan ng send at sa number nyo po pumasok. Pkiusap pkisauli po. Tnx - +639158900369"
Translation: "Goodafternoon. Please return back the 150 pesos load that you have received via share a load (the service of Globe Telecom). It was just a mistake sending it and it was sent to your number, sir. Please, return it sir. Thanks."
I tried to call the person to ask what this is about, but he kept on hanging up the phone. Why wouldn't he want to speak to me when he allegedly sent me P150 by mistake?
This is a SCAM! First of all, if I would be sent credit, it will have a caller id number with 3-4 digits only. This one shows the regular cell phone number of the sender. Second, I am using a post paid account, so there's no way that someone could send me prepaid load. Third, if he was so concerned about losing the P150 load, why wouldn't he answer my calls?
I then replied back saying that I will report him to the National Telecommunications Commission. http://www.ntc.gov.ph If you have complaints, this government agency is the best place to go to.
If it's your first time to receive this kind of message, you would pity the person for losing what could be almost half of his day's salary. So if you don't know how to check if it's real, you might fall into the trap.
The key is information. If you know other kinds of scam being done by a subscriber to another, please feel free to post your comments. Thank you!
Published by Noel Galvez
I am a broadcaster by profession. I also do radio commercials, either voice over, editing or creating jingles, and also do PHP/MySQL programs on my spare time. I'm blessed with a lovely wife and 2 kids. View profile
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7 Comments
Post a CommentPeople are using pasa-load to scam others. My sister got victimized just a few days ago. She received a text message with the same lines that ran like this “Kumusta na kayo may ipapadala akong pera sa inyo kasi meron akong business na maganda, pasa-load. Thinking it was her brother-in-law my sister and her husband ended up sending 19,000 pesos worth of pre-paid loads. The guy was using roaming smart number 09282016833. In other countries when you buy a sim you need to register and if you do anything illegal using that number you can easily be traced. Wish they could implement something like this in the Philippines.
interesting to know..........................
Wow, this is amazing how people can use the cell phone for a scam. Glad you gave this information.
Great advice here, Noel, you sure have to be careful!
Very informative. Great topic.
I was not aware of this ...............................
If anybody ever dials your number and asks you to accept a collect call from an injured loved-one at a hospital - run! Those charges are billed by the minute, from a very high priced out-of-country source, and your phone company sometimes takes the position that it was your choice to accept the call so that you are stuck paying 100.00 or more a minute. If a loved one is really at a hospital, they don't normally call collect.