Beware of ATM scams, budol-budol Cebu City cop warns public

Colon Street in downtown Cebu City. CDN Digital photo | Brian J. Ochoa

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City police warn the public against ATM scams online and offline and budol-budol acts on the streets.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy city director for administration of the Cebu City Police Office, said the rise in such incidents has been noted in the past years especially when Christmas is already approaching.

“Atoang gpangandaman ron og una kay kanang mga budol-budol, scam sa ATM kay usually muabot ni siya sa December,” Parilla said.

(We are preparing for the possible budol-budol and ATM scams as these usually happen in December.)

“Dunay budol-budol, especially ATM machines [along the streets] nga dunay magka deperensya, kunwari motabang sila but ila na diay nakuha ang imo details sa ATM and sila ang maka withdraw. Mao na ang atoang mga bantayan nga mga modus,” he added.

(There were budol-budol incidents, especially on ATMs [along the streets] that if ever one faces a problem with his or her transaction, someone will pretend to help but will instead retrieve the details of the victim’s card and use it to withdraw his/her money. That is the modus we are monitoring.)

As of this posting, Parilla said that they have not received any reports of such incidents.

However, Parilla said this should not be a reason for them to be complacent the reason they are reminding the public not to trust strangers, especially when transacting in automated teller machines (ATM).

He also warned against clicking on malicious links claiming that they are representatives of a bank.

Parilla also revealed that the police are intensifying their presence on the streets for immediate response.

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