CASES of cyber identity theft in the country shot up in 2023 prompting the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group to warn anew the public to protect themselves from these modern-day thieves by simply exercising caution in sharing unnecessary personal information online.

A report from the PNP-ACG headed by Major General Sidney S. Hernia said that in 2023, the unit recorded 2,999 cases of cyber-identity theft.

The PNP-ACG noted a significant increase in the number of cases last year where it investigated 1,597 cyber-identity theft cases compared to the 1,402 cases in 2022 or a 12.2 percent increase.

Maj. Gen. Hernia said the offense is subject to the penalties outlined in Section 4 (B) 3 (Computer-related Identity Theft) of RA 10175, also known as the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

He said last year, they apprehended 20 suspects for involvement in the offense, of which the accused were recommended for prosecution thru inquest or regular filing. The other cases are still being investigated or have been referred to other agencies.

Cyber identity theft occurs when individuals unknowingly share sensitive information through methods like phishing, scams, or downloading malicious software, the PNP-ACG said.

Cybercriminals exploit social media platforms and insecure networks, compromised ATMs, and target data breaches on company, government, or educational websites, it added.

This, according to Maj. Gen. Hernia, is the main reason why everybody must protect themselves from cyber identity theftin today’s digital age.

The official particularly emphasized the importance of exercising caution in sharing unnecessary personal information online and the need to avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources.

He also called on the public to look for “https://” in the URL when entering sensitive information on websites.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon