MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) issued a warning to the public regarding fraudulent cash aid advertisements targeting students, from elementary to college levels.
According to Philippines News Agency, these deceitful promotions, discovered circulating online on Tuesday, offer PHP5,000 and PHP8,000 in financial aid in exchange for personal information. The misleading campaigns are not only unauthorized but have also misused official symbols and high-profile names to lure unsuspecting individuals.
The bogus offers have been known to demand sensitive documents such as birth certificates issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority, school IDs, and enrollment certificates. Potential victims are directed to register through a link that purportedly leads to an official online form. However, the DepEd confirms that this link is part of the scam, aiming to gather personal data illegitimately.
This isn’t the first instance of such fraudulent activities; similar scams have been intercepted by DepEd in the past. The illegal use of the DepEd logo and images of prominent figures like President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara highlights the deceptive nature of these offers. To combat misinformation, the DepEd has urged the public to verify any educational assistance through its official website and social media channels on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
For those encountering suspicious or misleading information, reports can be submitted directly to the DepEd via email at depedactioncenter@deped.gov.ph.