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Scams in the Philippines: what to watch for right now

A plain summary of the scams official agencies in the Philippines warn about most, with the latest published figures and the fastest way to get help.

By the TapSafely editorial teamUpdated

The numbers

The CICC received 10,004 online scam complaints in 2024, up 202% from 3,317 in 2023, and victims lost nearly P198 million.

Philippine Information Agency

Scams to watch for in the Philippines

Common in the Philippines

Online selling scams

The DICT says fake sellers pretend to sell products on online platforms, and the government's 1326 hotline is the central number for reporting online selling scams.

How to spot it
Common in the Philippines

Phishing messages and fake bank sites

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas warns about messages that look like they come from your bank and fake look-alike websites built to trick you into giving your PIN, account number, login ID and password.

How to spot it
Common in the Philippines

Task-based job scams

The NTC warns about work-from-home job task scams that promise your money back doubled after you complete tasks.

How to spot it
Common in the Philippines

Romance scams

The DICT lists love or romance scams among the frauds the public should report to hotline 1326.

How to spot it
Common in the Philippines

Investment scams

The DICT lists investment fraud among the scams to report, and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas warns that Ponzi schemes lure people with high returns.

How to spot it
Common in the Philippines

Fake prize texts

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas warns about texts claiming your number won a raffle and says never to pay fees to claim lottery winnings.

How to spot it

Who scammers pretend to be

BanksGCashMayaOther well-known companies

Never trust a call, text or email just because it uses one of these names. Contact the organisation using details you find yourself.

If you've been scammed in the Philippines

  1. Call the government's 24/7 Inter-Agency Response Center hotline 1326 to report the scam.
  2. You can also report online selling scams through the eGovPH app.
  3. Report any unauthorised or suspicious transaction to your bank or e-wallet right away and cooperate with its investigation, as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas rules under the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act ask.

Where to report a scam in the Philippines

  • Report scams to the 24/7 Inter-Agency Response Center · 1326
  • Or report in the eGovPH app (More → Report → Scam)

Reviewed 2026-09-16. Services change, so check the official site if a link doesn't work.

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Questions

What are the most common scams in the Philippines?

According to official sources: Online selling scams, Phishing messages and fake bank sites, Task-based job scams, Romance scams, Investment scams, Fake prize texts.

What should I do first if I've been scammed in the Philippines?

Call the government's 24/7 Inter-Agency Response Center hotline 1326 to report the scam. You can also report online selling scams through the eGovPH app.

Who do scammers pretend to be in the Philippines?

Official warnings mention Banks, GCash, Maya, Other well-known companies.

Official sources and further reading

Figures and warnings on this page come from these official sources.