ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Jan. 23, 2013) – The Department of Trade and Industry has urged Filipino importers and exporters to act with heightened vigilance in their import and export transactions following reports of rising cyber hacking cases that victimized Philippine importers and Chinese suppliers.
Regional Trade Director Nazrullah Manzur said there have been cases that payments made importers to their legitimate suppliers were redirected to other bank accounts put up by hackers who posed as the suppliers.
“That is why we issue this advisory so that no similar cases may happen as we know for a fact that we have business firms here which are into the export and import business with China,” he said, adding most of the hackers are believed to be operating in Nigeria.
“These cases apparently are the handiworks of an African criminal syndicate, particularly Nigerians, based on the findings made by the National Bureau of Investigation,” Manzur said. (Lowell Vallecer)
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