The government-led Cybercrime Investigation Coordinating Center (CICC) has linked with the private consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch Philippines to help stem the continued rise of consumer fraud.
CICC executive director Alexander K. Ramos said the MOA with CitizenWatch will help the organization reach its target consumers and empower them through cybersecurity training and campaigns.
“We want to demonstrate that partnership with the government is the solution to resolving cybercrimes,” Ramos said.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Andres Reyes, as CICC technical consultant, said consumer fraud is one of the four major areas included in the proposed National Cyber Security Plan .
“It is one of the first four policies at the top of the agenda of the cyber security plan of the Philippines because it affects not only the consumer but the poor consumer,” he said.
CitizenWatch Philippines lead convenor Orlando Oxales said that accessing the internet has become an indispensable utility in government and private sector daily interaction with the transforming digital landscape.
“CitizenWatch Philippines is one with the Cybercrime Investigation Coordinating Center’s (CICC) campaign to safeguard our digital environment. It is with honor and great enthusiasm that CitizenWatch Philippines is partnering with the CICC to fight the rising cybercrime incidents victimizing the country’s consumers,” he said.
CICC statistics previously released show online fraud in Metro Manila rising 186 percent to 4,446 in the first six months this year from 1,551 a year earlier.
The CICC’s Inter-Agency Response Center (IARC) received 364 complaints of online fraud during the period or 40 percent of the total 904 cybercrime complaints lodged.
