Albert, a 68-year-old retiree, received a call noon on August 14, 2025. The call came at a perfect time because Albert needed a payment reference number (PRN) from his SSS (social security service) but he was having a challenging time logging on to his app.
The caller knew his full name, his SSS number, and his address, and offered to assist him in downloading a supposed updated SSS app. The assistance came in the form of him clicking a link provided over Viber, followed by a very long installation process.
In one-and-a-half hours, his three bank accounts and two cash wallets — all connected to his Android phone — were swiped. More than one million pesos in life savings gone. Albert never provided any personal detail like OTPs (one time passwords) or security codes.
