THE number of Facebook hacking incidents in the country in the past three years has reached alarming levels, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) said.
In 2021, the PNP-ACG said it recorded 503 reported incidents of Facebook hacking, while in 2022, the number surged to 1,402. From January to June 2023, there have been 743 reported incidents of Facebook hacking.
“These figures demonstrate a concerning upward trend, indicating a substantial increase in cases involving Facebook hacking over the years,” PNP-ACG spokesman Capt. Michelle Sabino said on Wednesday.
Sabino noted that cybercriminals are continuously devising sophisticated methods to exploit compromised accounts, causing severe financial and emotional consequences for the victims.
She said the primary motive of these hackers is to manipulate the identities of compromised account owners, enabling cybercriminals to orchestrate various fraudulent schemes.
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“These unscrupulous individuals leverage the hacked accounts to create deceptive scenarios, tricking others into sharing personal information or providing financial aid under pretenses,” she said.
To avoid being victimized by these malicious activities, the PNP-ACG urged all Facebook users to adopt several essential security measures, among them enabling two-factor authentication, avoiding public Wi-Fi networks, and logging out of devices when not in use.
Sabino said securing a Facebook account is vital not only for protecting personal information but also for preventing cybercriminals from using another person’s identity to victimize others.
“If you suspect any suspicious activity or believe your Facebook account may have been compromised, please report it immediately to Facebook’s support team or contact your local law enforcement agency,” she added.
