By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
NCAP or the No-Contact Apprehension Policy is back — and on Day One, 1,112 motorists were caught red-handed, thanks to traffic cams rolling 24/7 across Metro Manila. That’s a big drop from the 3,900 recorded on the same day last year, but still, over a thousand rule-breakers is no joke.
Under the NCAP, CCTV and digital cameras do the policing. No more bribes, no more excuses. Just violations on tape, with fines payable online or at the MMDA office. And for now, only the MMDA is allowed to enforce it — no more rogue LGUs bending the rules.
But here come the scammers. Almost instantly, fake links promising to check your NCAP violations went viral. Click them, and you’re handing your data straight to online crooks. It’s not just digital convenience they’re after — it’s your money and identity. And unless the government launches a serious crackdown, these fraudsters will keep feasting on clueless motorists.
Fakes on Meta
If you’re still falling for fake Facebook accounts pretending to be public officials, it’s time to sharpen up.
Last weekend, the Quezon City government warned against a poser account pretending to be Mayor Joy Belmonte — a digital bait used to trick residents and hack into their accounts. It’s the kind of scam that thrives on trust and laziness: we believe the profile because we want to, not because we checked.
This is the latest in a line-up of high-profile faces, among them tycoons Ramon S. Ang and Lance Gokongwei, being dragged into deepfake scams designed to swindle Filipinos out of hard-earned money.
What many of us don’t understand is why Meta, which owns Facebook, keeps letting these scam videos through. With all the advanced technology in its backroom arsenal, it’s unthinkable how in this day and age — and even with multiple reports against these fake profiles — this Zuckerberg enterprise can’t put a lid on it.
It’s not only embarrassing. It’s dangerous. So let’s be real: your mayor isn’t giving away free cash, and RSA isn’t asking you to invest via shady links with a double-your-money scheme. Don’t be caught in this scam pen called pig butchering.
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