MANILA, Philippines – A senior citizen lost his entire life savings after falling victim to an alleged “App Download Scam” that tricked him into installing a fake government application on his phone.
According to the viral Facebook post of her daughter “Jobelle,” the incident happened on August 14 at around 11 a.m., when the victim received a call from a woman who claimed to be an employee of the Social Security System (SSS).
The scammer reportedly took advantage of the fact that the victim was trying to generate a Payment Reference Number (PRN), a service usually done through the SSS app, which was malfunctioning at the time.
The caller allegedly told the victim that the SSS app had an updated version that could be installed directly through a link sent via email. Believing the caller, the victim provided his email and proceeded to download the app while being guided by the scammer over the phone.
During the installation process, which lasted several minutes, the victim’s phone became unresponsive. Attempts to restart, reset, or use basic functions failed. Even after removing the SIM card, the app appeared to still be installing.
By the time his family intervened, it was already too late—all of the victim’s bank and e-wallet accounts had been drained. The scam wiped out funds from his BPI, BDO (four accounts), GCash, Maya, and LandBank accounts, reportedly amounting to hundreds of thousands of pesos.
The family emphasized that the victim did not provide any passwords, OTPs, or personal details to the caller, raising suspicions that the malicious app gained access to sensitive banking information stored on the device.
The victim’s family immediately deleted the fake app installer and transferred the SIM card to another phone, reported unauthorized transactions to the banks and e-wallet providers, blocked linked debit cards and accounts from online transactions, and changed usernames, passwords, and MPINs.
They also plan to file a cybercrime case and raise the issue with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) in hopes of recovering at least part of the stolen money.
Not an isolated case
According to online reports, similar scams have circulated in recent months, with fraudsters posing not only as SSS personnel but also as representatives of other government agencies, including the Philippine Identification System (National ID).
Victims said the fake app links were sent not only via email but also through WhatsApp, Viber, and Messenger.
The family who shared their story warned the public to never trust anyone sending a link, avoid linking all bank accounts online, keep bulk savings in a separate account without digital access, and limit funds stored in e-wallets and online banking platforms.
SSS reminder
The Social Security System, in previous advisories, has repeatedly warned members that they will never call or send links to apps via email or messaging apps. Official downloads should only come from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
The family hopes that by sharing their experience, more Filipinos—especially senior citizens—will be vigilant against similar scams.
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express