The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has again warned the public against individuals and entities falsely using the name of the central bank to facilitate personal financial transactions.

In an advisory, the BSP stressed that its offices and personnel do not conduct or assist in personal financial transactions, including deposits, withdrawals, or fund transfers to or from individual accounts. The public was urged to ignore claims made by persons pretending to be BSP employees or representatives of BSP offices that usually handle complaints related to banks, e-money issuers, and other financial institutions.

The BSP clarified that it may only assist consumers through its Consumer Assistance Mechanism when complaints or reports are formally filed against BSP-supervised institutions. If a bank is involved, affected individuals are advised to immediately coordinate with the concerned bank through its official channels.

The central bank also cautioned the public against falsified documents bearing the BSP’s name and logo, as well as fraudulent communications sent through emails, text messages, or phone calls. Scammers may also claim to create personal financial accounts, request sensitive personal or banking information, or demand advance payments and fabricated fees, often with a sense of urgency.

The BSP emphasized that it will never ask the public to transfer funds or make payments for supposed anti-money laundering clearances, taxes, insurance, or similar charges.

To avoid falling victim to scams, the BSP advised the public to:

• Ignore individuals or entities claiming to be connected with the BSP;
• Never share personal or financial information;
• Avoid clicking links sent via SMS, email, or messaging apps, noting that BSP regulations prohibit banks from sending clickable links through these channels; and
• Report suspicious activities immediately to the BSP via bspmail@bsp.gov.ph or by calling (02) 8811-1277 or 8811-1BSP.

Individuals whose financial accounts may have been compromised were urged to immediately contact their bank or e-money issuer through official channels.

The public may also report suspected scammers to the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation through their respective official reporting platforms.