The Teachers' Dignity Coalition has sounded the alarm over a disturbing wave of phishing attacks targeting educators through their official Department of Education email accounts. These sophisticated scams have already claimed numerous victims, with financial losses reaching alarming levels.
How the Scam Operates
According to Benjo Basas, national chairman of the Teachers' Dignity Coalition, educators have been receiving suspicious messages in their DepEd email accounts. The messages urge teachers to verify their accounts by registering phone numbers or completing other actions through unfamiliar links that appear legitimate at first glance.
In one particularly troubling case, Mia Lozano, a teacher from Rizal, fell victim to the scheme after receiving what she believed was an authentic message from Landbank. After providing her information through the fraudulent link, she received a notification that a bank withdrawal had been successfully made from her account and transferred to an electronic wallet without her authorization.
Historical Pattern of Teacher Targeting
This is not an isolated incident. The coalition revealed that nearly 100 teachers were victimized by similar schemes in 2022, with individual losses ranging from P5,000 to over P100,000. The timing of these attacks appears strategic, with scammers becoming particularly aggressive during bonus seasons when government workers' accounts contain more substantial balances.
"During bonus season, these types of scams that specifically target teachers get worse," Basas expressed. "The victims are truly pitiful; their hard-earned money is completely wiped out."
Calls for Immediate Action
The Teachers' Dignity Coalition is urgently calling on both the Department of Education and the Land Bank of the Philippines to implement stronger protective measures. They demand immediate advisories to warn teachers and enhanced security protocols to prevent further victimization.
"Landbank offers convenient banking through its online platform, but they should have made their clients' money safe and secure," Basas emphasized, highlighting the responsibility financial institutions bear in protecting their customers from sophisticated digital fraud.
The coalition strongly advises all teachers to exercise extreme caution with unsolicited emails, avoid clicking on suspicious links, and immediately report any potential phishing attempts to both DepEd and Landbank authorities.
As digital banking becomes increasingly prevalent, the need for robust cybersecurity measures and user education has never been more critical for protecting the financial well-being of educators and all banking customers in the Philippines.
