Rising scams from IMSI catchers may stall digital economy

A consumer rights advocate has raised concerns over the growing threat posed by high-tech online scams that exploit gaps in digital security, warning that trust in internet services is eroding at a time when the country's digital economy is rapidly expanding.

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Tim Abejo, co-convenor of CitizenWatch Philippines, called on government authorities to crack down on the malicious use of International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers, also known as "cell site simulators" or "fake base stations." These devices mimic legitimate cell towers to intercept mobile communications and used by scammers to impersonate legitimate telecom signals to lure unsuspecting users into revealing sensitive personal and financial data.