BDO Unibank, the largest bank in the Philippines, warned its clients today of a new phishing scheme that’s so stealthy, it could fool anyone.
The warning posted on its official Facebook account earlier today includes a photo of a message being sent to people with BDO accounts.
The email, complete with a BDO letterhead and the bank’s signature blue and white color scheme, looks very legit to the untrained eye. It tells people that their savings accounts have been compromised and are temporarily on hold. It also asks accountholders to verify their account.
But BDO said that people should not follow this prompt.
“Received any suspicious emails lately? DO NOT CLICK ‘VERIFY NOW’ LINK,” the bank’s warning reads.
https://www.facebook.com/BDOUnibank/photos/a.1545223422360487/2182894875260002/?type=3&theater
BDO said that data theft is now much easier because of tech advances and that unknowing victims don’t even need to input information for their data to be stolen — all it takes is one click.
“Clicking on malicious links can activate malware and give fraudsters direct access to your data,” BDO said.
It also reminded that they would never ask for sensitive information like an accountholder’s OTP (one-time-password), PIN, CVC, or password.
The bank then encouraged people to let them know immediately if they encounter any phishing schemes. People can report them by forwarding the suspicious emails to ReportPhish@bdo.com.ph, commenting or messaging BDO on Facebook, or sharing the experience on Facebook with the hashtag #BDOAntiFraud.
Last reminder: Delete the suspicious emails after forwarding them to the bank!
