THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday warned the public against falling prey to social media posts asking them to share personal information in exchange for government assistance.
The DILG, in an advisory, denied that it has directed any group to distribute barangay forms asking the public to fill them up and share their personal information so they can receive P5,000 to P8,000 in financial aid.
“This information is false and misleading. No such directive has been issued by the DILG,” it said, adding that the contact numbers in the said social media posts
“are not official and are not connected to any legitimate government program.”
The DILG said it is not directly involved in the distribution of government aid, pointing out that the social amelioration programs are exclusively implemented by the Department of Social Welfare and Development “through official, (and) validated channels.”
It said the DILG is “only assisting in local monitoring and no such program is currently active.”
“The public is advised to be vigilant. Do not provide personal information or sign documents based on social media posts that are unverified. Misinformation such as this creates confusion and opens opportunities for exploitation,” the DILG said, adding that the people behind the scheme will be held accountable.
“Those who deliberately spread fake information or misuse the name of the DILG for fraudulent purposes will be subject to legal action under the Cybercrime Prevention Act and other applicable laws,” it said.
