In response to the
currently widespread Share-a-Load scams, Globe is implementing a validation text
message whenever customers are opting to make a transaction. The additional
step is defined by Globe informing users that then have opted to share a load
with specified amount to a specified number.
The message will
then ask you to reply with YES within 5 minutes. If you fail to reply, the
transaction will be considered as void. Of course, this is free of charge;
transaction fee will still be Php 1 per Share-a-Load.
The validation message reads as follows: “You are about to share PXXX load with 0916XXXXXXX. Reply YES within 5 minutes to proceed. P1/transaction. Report text scams to www.globe.com.ph/stopspam.”
The validation message would
come from 2652xxxxxxxxx where the last 9 digits are the transaction number. Replying to the message is free of charge. On
the other hand, customers who fail to reply within 5 minutes will receive the
following
message: "We're
sorry, but your Share-A-Load/Promo transaction has been cancelled because the
response time exceeded 5 minutes. Please try again. Thanks!"
“We want to continuously protect
our customers against these scams. By putting in place this additional measure,
we would help prevent our customers from unwittingly undertaking Share-A-Load
transactions,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice-President for Corporate
Communications. She noted that even with widespread communication efforts, some
customers are still unaware that by adding the number “2” before the 10-digit
mobile number of the recipient, they are actually doing a Share-A-Load
transaction.
Last month, Globe reduced the amount
of Share-A-Load transaction to a maximum of P150 for prepaid customers and P300
for postpaid customers to counter text scams asking for P500 Share-A-Load
transactions. Text scam messages are varying everyday using spiels like
rewards, loyalty, MSF discount, roaming and bill overcharge, waiver of charges,
refunds, etc.
Crisanto also urged
Globe customers to immediately report thru http://www.globe.com.ph/stopspam and
provide all the details required. Numbers that are reported as source of text
scams will be immediately blocked from the network. Following the telecommunication company’s
intensified efforts to combat text spams and text scams early this year, the
number of reports using the website has reached over 42,000 since it was
created in June 2014.
