Globe Telecom has issued a renewed warning about a rising scam targeting its customers, following reports of fraudulent SMS messages allegedly from Globe Rewards. The scam, which uses international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) catchers or fake cell towers, informs customers that their rewards points are expiring and urges them to click on a provided link.
Anton Bonifacio, Globe chief information security officer, reiterated that the company does not send clickable links in official advisories and stressed the need for customer vigilance. “These messages are not from us and are designed to steal your personal information,” he said.
The latest scam involves fake Globe Rewards sites, where users are tricked into sharing sensitive data and paying fraudulent fees. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) traced the campaign’s IP address to Romania, beginning on 27 November 2024.
Globe has long raised alarms about IMSI catchers, which enable scammers to send spoofed messages by tricking mobile phones into connecting to rogue cell towers. As these messages bypass Globe’s network filters, they evade detection.
Bonifacio emphasized the importance of customers staying cautious, advising against clicking on suspicious links and to report such incidents through Globe’s Stop Spam portal.
