Incidents of ‘hijack profile’ or identity theft on social media accounts such as on Facebook increased in recent months especially last February.

This was observed by the Philippine National Police – Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) as it warned the public against such scam as well as other illegal activities victimizing netizens.

The anti-cybercrime group explained that a “hijack profile scam” entails unauthorized access to a specific social media account. Once infiltrated, the perpetrator uses the “hijacked account” to send messages to the account owner’s contacts, often requesting these contacts to send money or urgent financial help under false pretenses and made-up stories.

The PNP-ACG reported that it logged 178 cases of identity theft from November 2023 to February 2024 – 89 of which or 50 percent were logged in February alone.

“February 2024 marked a significant peak, with 89 cases reported, indicating a concerning upward trend in this form of cybercrime,” the PNP-ACG said.

It noted that scammers use various tactics to gain access to social media account profiles, such as phishing, hacking or social engineering techniques, which are violations of Section 4 (a) (1) Illegal Access, (b) (2) Computer-related Fraud, and (3) Computer-related Identity Theft of Republic Act 10175 or Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

The ACG said that people should be very extra careful in providing personal information online and in clicking malicious website links.

According to ACG chief Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia, netizens must use strong, unique passwords for online accounts, enable multi-factor authentication whenever possible, be cautious about clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources, and regularly monitor their online accounts for any suspicious activity.

“If you suspect that your profile has been hijacked, immediately report it to the platform or service provider, take steps to secure your account, and notify relevant authorities to avoid potential legal liabilities that may arise from unauthorized access or misuse of your online identity,” he advised.

Gen. Hernia stressed that netizens must also refrain from sharing unnecessary personal information online and look for “https://” in the URL when entering sensitive information on websites.

The PNP-ACG chief concluded, “By following these tips and staying vigilant, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to cyber identity theft. Always be proactive in managing your online presence and protecting your personal information.”