Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

The Philippine Embassy in UAE has warned Filipino expats, urging them to be "vigilant in putting sensitive and personal information" on websites. The warning came after the Philippine Embassy received reports of fake text messages and emails containing links to sites posing to be the official portal for visa violators to register for amnesty in the UAE. The embassy strongly advises Filipino expats to refrain from engaging with these texts and emails and to only use verified and official channels for any registration or important updates. "Please be assured that the embassy will continue to coordinate with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and agencies concerned and official advisories and announcements will be conveyed to the public as soon as available," according to the embassy. How to avoid becoming a victim of these fraudulent texts and emails? The UAE government is yet to announce the details of the visa amnesty programme that will begin in September, so if you receive instructions about the amnesty through text and emails during this time, it is most likely fake. A major red flag in these bogus text messages and emails is when they lead you to sites asking for sensitive and personal information such as your account number, Emirates ID number, email ID, and a one-time password from a bank. When this happens, do not engage. For extra safety, send a report to trusted authorities such as Dubai Police through dubaipolice.gov.ae (look for eCrime under Reports services) and Abu Dhabi Police through adpolice.gov.ae (look for Aman under Police services). FLE/Expat Media
For all the latest news from the UAE and the world, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube page