MANILA, Philippines — It’s the start of a new year and the tradition of making resolutions takes center stage again. It's a time when people reflect on their lives, aspire to become better, and strive to make wiser choices.
This 2024, one of the most simple, yet impactful resolutions we could do collectively is to be not only better and wiser but also safer, especially in the face of rising scams and fraudulent activities in the Philippines.
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The Philippines in 2023 recorded 11,071 cases of online scams, which accounted for 55.67% of the 19,884 total cybercrimes reported. Moreover, the country has been tagged as having the highest rate of online shopping scams among 11 economies surveyed in the 2023 Asia Scam Report.
Especially now that various aspects of our lives are rapidly being digitized, including financial transactions, paying attention to red flags and doing “legit check” can be the key to saving oneself from potential pitfalls.
Similar to fact-checking, a legit check assesses the authenticity of something or someone selling a product or service online, to save your hard-earned money from scams and scammers.
Here’s how you can do the simple process of Legit Checking every time you transact online.
Legit Check 1: Spot seller red flags
They say being judgmental is bad, but sometimes it could save you from scammers around you.
Before agreeing to pay for a product, always make time to examine the seller’s profile. Visit their profile, check for their recent activities, do a quick search of the business or seller’s name to make sure they are not imitating a legitimate business or individual.
Look out for specific signs—red flags—that can help you easily identify potential risks, here are some:
- Seller with little to no account history: Scammers often make new accounts to keep scamming, even if they've been reported or blocked before. When buying from social media pages, check the page transparency feature to see when the page was created and if it changed names in the past.
- Seller with too-good-to-be-true deals: Beware of fake sellers who attract customers with unusually low prices compared to the market average. If you're uncertain about the seller's legitimacy, verify the price by checking with at least two other sellers offering the same product.
- Seller has no other posts and reviews: If an online seller has few or no posts and reviews, it could mean they are new or have little experience. Legitimate sellers usually have a history of posts, listings, and reviews that help customers gauge their reputation and service quality.
And because everyone hates scammers, you can even ask social media groups to “legit check” the seller, if anyone has had experience buying from them, or has been scammed before. This way, you’re making sure that the person you’re transacting has been vouched for by other buyers.
Legit Check 2: Assess seller reviews
Check for reviews and complaints about the business on various platforms, including the seller’s own profile, independent review sites and social media pages.
Additionally, try to sharpen your BS radar when checking reviews on apps, especially when you’ve been spotting almost similar comments or irrelevant praises coming from accounts with sketchy usernames.
Moreover, be on the lookout for recurring complaints that may suggest potential issues, not just on the seller, but also on the items you’re purchasing.
Legit Check 3: Ask for payment-upon-delivery option
Always inquire with the seller about the feasibility of opting for a payment-upon-delivery arrangement. Request to pay only once the item is safely delivered to your satisfaction or, at the very least, after you have thoroughly confirmed that it matches the description provided.
Choosing the payment-upon-delivery option provides you with an added layer of security as in the unfortunate event that the item doesn't meet your expectations or turns out to be incorrect, you can simply return it without having committed your funds upfront.
This precautionary step minimizes the risk of falling victim to potential scammers, ensuring that your money is safeguarded until you have complete confidence in the legitimacy of the transaction.
Legit Check 4: Use GCash as your trusted payment option
When completing your purchases, opt for a secure payment method, such as GCash.
Utilizing GCash to transfer funds to the seller comes with an added layer of security through the new Express Send Checkbox feature.
Before finalizing the transaction, this checkbox serves as a helpful reminder to pause before sending out your payment and do the Legit Check steps 1 to 3 for a secure and worry-free online transaction experience.
Through this checkbox, you not only confirm the recipient's number and the accurate amount you intend to send but also encourage the practice of pausing to verify the legitimacy of the seller. This precautionary step is crucial to avoid falling into the trap of sending money hastily without conducting a thorough legitimacy check.
Make ‘Legit Check’ a habit!
Easy as they may seem, this simple act of due diligence can go a long way in preventing regrettable financial losses this new year.
In the spirit of making 2024 a year of positive change, let's make it a part of our resolution to be better, wiser and safer, especially online by making “Legit Check” with GCash a habit!
By incorporating the habit of legit checking into our daily lives, we not only protect ourselves but also send a strong message to scammers that our eyes are on them and #GSafeTayo from their schemes.
Editor’s Note: This #BrandSpace story is created with GCash. It is produced by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.
for GCash