NAIA ‘lost baggage’ on sale a scam – MIAA

The Manila International Airport Authority has warned the public about the proliferation of online scammers, including those selling "lost or missing" baggage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

MIAA officer-in-harge Bryan Co yesterday expressed dismay over the audacity of fraudsters who prey on unsuspecting individuals looking for deals on goods sold online.

He urged everyone to exercise utmost caution and vigilance when using the internet and to always proceed with care when dealing with online merchants.

Co stressed that any claims or transactions from pages using the NAIA or MIAA names are not valid, and that anyone who encounters such pages should report them immediately to the authorities.

For public safety, Co advised people to avoid engaging with these fake accounts.

The MIAA said it only uses its official Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/MIAAGovPH), which was formerly its Twitter account, and its @MIAAGovPH profiles on Instagram and TikTok for announcements and information dissemination with the public.

Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, which oversees 44 commercial airports, said that they are ready and prepared to accept flights throughout the long weekend.

CAAP Director General Captain Manuel Antonio Tamayo said that they have established routine protocols with other agencies, such as the Office for Transportation Security, the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group, and other first aid responders, to ensure the quick and efficient processing of passengers passing through their airports.

Tamayo added that safety and efficiency are very important in their operations and that they are confident that traveling through their airports this long weekend will be a comfortable experience for passengers.

Currently, the Philippines has a total of 48 commercially operated airports.

Cybersecurity experts have cited several way to avoid being preyed upon by online scammers, including checking the URLs as fake accounts often use URLs that mimic real ones with slight variations.

An example would be "facebok.com" instead of facebook.com.

Online users can also look for verification badges as most official social media accounts have them, such as a blue checkmark on Twitter or a badge with the name of the organization on FB.

Fake accounts often use poor grammar or unusual phrasing, the experts said. Likewise, users are advised against clicking on links or opening attachments from unknown senders.