May 05, 2024 - The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has announced that it will be coordinating with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to crack down on online scammers who are using the agency’s name in their illegal money-making schemes. The LTO has issued a warning to all its clients to be vigilant against the modus operandi of these scammers.
LTO Chief, Assistant Secretary Atty. Vigor D. Mendoza II, stated that they have also begun coordinating with their online payment partners to strengthen their alliance and protect the agency’s clients.
“We do not send a notice of violation. This system has long been dysfunctional, so any message you receive is definitely from scammers,” said Assec Mendoza.
He further advised the public not to entertain such messages and to report them immediately to the authorities for appropriate action. “On the part of the LTO, we are coordinating with our partners and other concerned government agencies to run after these people and protect the public,” he added.
Assec Mendoza issued the warning amid the proliferation of a phishing scam perpetrated by online scammers. These scammers impersonate the LTO through text messages claiming that the target victims have traffic violations.
The same text message contains a link to an alleged LTO website. Once all the details have been input into the fake websites, the selection of a payment option would redirect the user to a counterfeit login page designed to steal information from the users.
Assec Mendoza advised the public to directly communicate with the LTO office if they receive such text messages for proper action and to ensure that they would not be victimized.
Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista has already been informed of the LTO’s actions against these online scams. The LTO’s proactive approach in dealing with this issue underscores its commitment to protecting its clients and the public.