The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) issued an alert on Tuesday, September 15, cautioning citizens against a scammer falsely claiming to be Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian.
DSWD Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Irene Dumlao revealed that scammers have escalated their fraudulent schemes by impersonating high-ranking government authority figures.
She specifically identified the mobile number 0969-268-4752 as the source of the deceptive messages.
“Gumagawa talaga ng iba’t ibang paraan ang mga scammer para makapanloko ng publiko, grabe na itong mga taong ‘to dahil gumagamit pa sila ng pangalan ng ating mga opisyal, kagaya na lang nitong number (0969-268-4752) na ‘to na nagpapanggap bilang Kalihim ng DSWD,” Dumlao said.
The agency strongly advised the public to disregard suspicious contact from the flagged mobile number and strictly avoid sending money or sharing confidential personal data.
Dumlao emphasized that updates regarding Secretary Gatchalian should only be verified through his official, verified social media platforms and authentic DSWD communication channels.
“Ang pagiging maingat at pag-check sa mga official channels ng DSWD o ng kahit ano pang ahensya ang pinakamabisang paraan para hindi tayo mabiktima ng panloloko,” she stated.
Additionally, the DSWD urged the public to spread awareness among relatives and local community members—especially senior citizens and individuals lacking internet or social media access—to help protect them from fraudulent schemes.
“Malaking tulong ang pagiging alerto ng bawat isa para maprotektahan natin ang mga sarili against these scammers, lalo na po sa ating mga nakatatanda at mga kababayan na walang social media o walang access sa social media. Kaya kung sakaling maka-encounter po kayo o sinuman sa mga kakilala niyo ng ganito, sana po ay warningan niyo sila at agad na ipagbigay alam sa aming Departamento,” Dumlao added.