Ignore text scams, says NBI chief

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Jaime Santiago revealed that even he receives text scams, echoing the experience of countless Filipinos bombarded with suspicious messages daily.

His advice? “Just ignore it.”

This comes after Santiago recently received a text message claiming to be from “Aiza Nobel, HR from Company E.S.I AGENCY,” purportedly recruiting for Shopee Mall. The message offered an enticing “part-time job” with a daily pay of P3,500 to P8,700, claiming it “won’t affect your current work.”

“Even I receive these… just ignore them. Soon, we will arrest those doing this,” said Santiago, adding that if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Authorities have implemented a crackdown on SMS scammers, many of whom operate through online job fraud and phishing schemes. Santiago acknowledged that while many have been arrested, the fight continues.

He also shared the specific message he received, highlighting the too-good-to-be-true nature of the offer as it promises thousands of pesos for minimal work, is a common tactic used by scammers to lure unsuspecting victims.