A person uses a mobile phone in Quezon City, Aug. 16, 2020. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/FileMANILA — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has sought the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate a text scam using the agency’s name to trick motorists into paying fake penalties for supposed No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) violations.
MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said the agency has received reports that nearly 200 individuals have allegedly been victimized after paying fines despite having no actual traffic violations.
According to Artes, the fraudulent website closely resembles that of the MMDA’s official portal, making it difficult for victims to distinguish the fake page from the legitimate one.
"Kahawig ng opisyal na website ng MMDA ang pekeng website. URL lamang ang halos pinagkaiba kaya maraming motorista ang nalinlang," he said.
Artes also reminded the public not to click links sent through unsolicited text messages claiming they have NCAP violations, stressing that the MMDA does not send payment links through random SMS.
Melvin Matibag, National Bureau of Investigation director, said the bureau launched an investigation into the scheme and is coordinating with the MMDA and other concerned agencies to identify those behind the scam.
"We will determine who is behind these text messages and the fake website. We will use all available cyber forensic tools to identify the perpetrators," he said.
Matibag also urged the public to remain vigilant and verify any notice of traffic violations only through official government channels.