Identify the recipient
Confirm that the agency or company has authority over the issue. BSP supervises banks and certain financial institutions; SEC oversees companies, lending and financing firms, and securities activities within its mandate.
Send the report to the right place
How to report a scam in the Philippines
Reporting quickly can help protect an account, preserve a transaction trail, remove a fraudulent profile, and warn other people. Start with the organisation that can act on the immediate risk.
One incident may need more than one report
A bank handles the account or transfer, a platform handles the profile or advertisement, a telco handles a scam number, and government agencies handle complaints or investigation within their authority. Filing with one does not automatically notify the others. Keep every case and reference number.
Prepare a clear incident record
Report facts in chronological order. Do not send passwords, PINs, OTPs, full card details, or unnecessary identity documents in a complaint.
- 01
Protect the account or payment first
Call the bank, card issuer, e-wallet, transfer service, or exchange using its official fraud channel. Ask about blocking access, holding funds, recalling the transfer, or filing a dispute.
- 02
Save the evidence
Keep screenshots, original messages, email headers, profile and page URLs, usernames, phone numbers, account names, transaction IDs, amounts, dates, and receipts. Do not alter the originals.
- 03
Write a short timeline
State when contact began, what was claimed, what you did, what information was shared, how payment was made, and what happened afterward. Separate facts from assumptions.
- 04
Route each part of the report
Report the account to the platform, the number to NTC, the cybercrime to CICC, and the financial or investment concern through the responsible institution and regulator.
What makes a useful report
A report is easier to act on when it identifies the subject, channel, transaction, and requested outcome without exposing new sensitive information.
Ask for a reference number
Record the date, channel, representative, case number, promised next step, and expected response time. Use the same reference when following up.
State the resolution you need
Be specific: block access, dispute a charge, recall a transfer, correct account information, investigate an unauthorised transaction, or remove a fraudulent listing.
Watch for recovery impostors
Scammers monitor public complaints and contact victims pretending to be agents, lawyers, hackers, or officials. Do not pay an advance fee or share account access for recovery.
Philippine reporting map
Use official websites or known customer-service channels. Verify contact details again before sending documents.
Your providerOpen official channel ↗BSP BOBOpen official channel ↗CICCOpen official channel ↗NTCOpen official channel ↗SECOpen official channel ↗
Bank, card, e-wallet, remittance, or exchange
First stop for blocking access, tracing a payment, disputing a transaction, and obtaining a complaint reference.
Escalate a complaint involving a BSP-supervised institution
Complain to the institution first. If unresolved, escalate through BSP Online Buddy with the institution’s reference and supporting documents.
Online scams and cybercrime
Call 1326 and use current CICC reporting channels for online scam incidents.
Text scam or spam
Use the NTC reporting form for the sending number and message evidence.
Lending, financing, company, or investment concerns
Check current SEC advisories and use SEC channels for entities and activities within its authority.
Report first where immediate action is possible
If money or account access is at risk, contact the provider before completing a general report. A regulator or cybercrime report is important, but it does not replace the urgent call to block an account or attempt a transaction recall.