PNP gives 8 Christmas safety tips

MANILA, Philippines - As the holidays are fast approaching, everyone is busy attending Christmas parties and buying gifts for their loved ones. During this time of festivities, we usually see increase in activities especially in the use of ATMs, online shopping, use of credit and debit cards as well as online banking.

Filipinos rush to commercial centers for Christmas shopping. Photo Credit: Philstar

Thus, the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group encourages everyone to undertake the following safety measures to avoid becoming victims:

1. Be careful when using your ATM cards.

• Keep your eyes open. If you’re looking at an ATM and its PIN pad looks a bit loose, or see scratches or sticky residue, be wary as scammers will often attach false fronts to the ATM with tape.
• Cover the PIN pad with your hand. If there is a skimming device on the card reader, there will usually be a pinhole camera mounted underneath the top of the ATM. As the card reader captures the account information, the pinhole cameras record the customers’ PIN.
• When in doubt, don’t use the ATM. The only way to prevent your ATM card from being skimmed is to recognize that the machine has been tampered with. Best to just walk away from it. If it cannot be avoided immediately change your pin using a secure ATM, preferably one attached to a bank branch.

2. Always protect your user name and password.

3. When shopping online, only purchase from trusted websites.

4. Beware of phishing emails or text messages that are asking you for money, your user name or password. Avoid clicking on links in emails that you receive.

5. When banking with the use of online facilities.

• Access your accounts from a secure location. It is always good practice to access your accounts using computers and networks you know and trust. However, when the need to access accounts from remote locations arise, check the address bar on your browser – the URL of the site you are on should begin with “https”. This acts as confirmation that you are accessing your account using a secure connection.
• Always logout when you are done. Logging out of your online banking session when you are finished lessens the chances of you falling prey to session exploits by cybercriminals.

6. When using your credit card, always be aware of where your credit card is to avoid skimming.

7. Make sure that you have up-to-date anti-virus software.

8. Only use legitimate and properly licensed software. Pirated software has been known to have malware.

This advisory was the product of discussions of the PNP-ACG Advisory Council.

READ: 5 tricks to avoid overspending this Christmas season

"We hope that you take the necessary precautions to protect your yourselves. Should you need assistance, we, at the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, are ready to assist. You can reach us through telephone number 414-1560 and email address acg@pnp.gov.ph."

— The Summit Express

'Bagyong Vinta' PAGASA weather update December 23, 2017

MANILA, Philippines - 'Bagyong Vinta' (international name: Tembin) has slightly intensified as it continues to track westward over the Sulu Sea, state weather bureau PAGASA announced in its 5:00 a.m. update on Saturday, December 23, 2017.

Tropical Storm Vinta satellite image as of 5:00 am, December 23, 2017. Courtesy of DOST-PAGASA.

At 4:00 a.m. today, the center of Tropical Storm Vinta was estimated based on all available data at 165 km Northwest of Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur (7.9°N, 121.0°E).

'Bagyong Vinta' has maximum sustained winds of up to 75 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 90 kph. It is forecast to move West at 20 kph.

Forecast Positions:

• 24 Hour(Tomorrow morning, December 24): 275 km Southwest of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan (8.3°N, 116.7°E)
• 48 Hour(Monday morning, December 25): 390 km Southwest of Pagasa Island, Palawan (OUTSIDE PAR) (8.9°N, 111.3°E)

Tropical cyclone warning signal (TCWS) #2 (61-120 kph expected in 24 hours) has been raised over Southern Palawan. Wave Height (Open Sea) is at 4.1-14.0 meters. Coastal flooding is possible.

TCWS#1 (30-60 kph expected in 36 hours) has been hoisted over the rest of Palawan, Western section of Zamboanga del Norte, western section of Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga Sibugay.

Scattered to widespread moderate to heavy rains will prevail over Palawan, while scattered light to moderate with at times heavy rains is expected over Bicol region, Visayas, Mindanao, and the rest of MIMAROPA within 24 hours. Residents of these areas must take appropriate actions against flooding and landslides, coordinate with their respective local disaster risk reduction and management offices, and continue monitoring for updates.

Sea travel is risky over the seaboards of areas under TCWS, the southern seaboard of Mindoro provinces and the western seaboard of Aklan and Antique due to the Tropical Storm.

— The Summit Express

5 tricks to avoid overspending this Christmas season

Christmas is almost here! You might have just received your bonus this early, and now you’re just too excited to spend it on this and that, go on a shopping spree, or give gifts to your family, friends, or even to random people – sounds good, because you have a lot to spend so you won’t end up broke this season, right? NOT. The truth is, you can’t truly spend just enough without a plan.

So, how do you plan it out? Perhaps you’ve been reading too many budgeting tips since the –ber months started, so you might have noticed by now what they have in common. If you’re trying to come up with a Christmas spending strategy, but you’re flooded with the hundreds of advices that you don’t know what to follow anymore, go back to basics and keep it simple. Make your funds work with you with these five straightforward tips.

1. Do your pre-Christmas cleanup. There’s more to it than just decluttering your closet. Cleaning before Christmas will help you find the stuff you barely or never used—those that take up too much of your space. Try selling them. Or give them to friends or family members. How about give them away as charity gifts? You can also draw ideas from the things you’ll find: What do I have here? What do I NOT have here? What more do I need?

2. Make a list. We know there are too many gift ideas you’d like to try, but before you rush in to Christmas shopping without a battle plan, you might want to think twice. Identify what’s worth your budget – if you already set a budget! Making a list (and checking it twice) is a must when you’re playing Santa Claus for this season. It will help you plan and keep track of your spending, and most importantly, help you avoid impulse buying.

3. Check online. Now that you know what you need, you might also aim for a cheaper version or an alternative. From the many hours you spend on social media, try to take at least 30 minutes of it to research on the items you want to buy. This will give you info about the product, or maybe if you know where to look, you’ll even find good deals. So by the time you do the real shopping in a physical store, you’ll know the price range and specifications of your items. This will save your precious time!

4. Take advantage of promos and discounts. You know the best thing about online research? You get to discover more affordable options. If you already set a spending limit to your Christmas shopping, then buying things on sale or availing of promos might just be good for you; with cheaper purchases or installment promos, you’ll get a chance to add more items to your list without exceeding that limit.

5. Set your budget. Stick to it. Have we mentioned this already? —Let us say it again: avoid impulse buying. You’ve already tidied up your closet, made a list, checked online, so now you know what you’re going to buy when you visit the mall.

We know self-control is hard to practice when you find something that really appeals to you, but staying within your limits is crucial if you don’t want to overspend. If you really can’t help it, remind yourself of #4. And you’d be surprised – you may even get the product you want by paying through monthly installments that fit your budget.

Installments? But I have no credit card! Don’t worry, we’ve got your back! Home Credit lets you easily afford the things that matter to you. Even without a credit card, you can pay for it through installments at 0% interest. Through a simple, easy, and fast process, you can take home that item you want and still have a budget to spare.

Now if you succeeded with these tips, why don’t you reward yourself with that spare budget? You deserve it!

The tricks to avoid overspending take less effort and more diligence in staying inside your budget. So if you already set a limit to your spending but can’t stop yourself from buying the things that interest you, check your available resources, make your list, and do your research – you might find good deals that are just waiting for you!

For more info about Home Credit’s promos, loan applications, and store locations, visit www.homecredit.ph.

— The Summit Express