RE-ELECTIONIST Senator Richard J. Gordon today warned Social Security System (SSS) members and their employers to take extra precaution against scammers amid the recent rise in the number of fraudulent incidents, especially during pandemic.
Gordon, who chairs the Senate Committee on Government Corporations and Public Enterprises, urged SSS members and their employers alike not to disclose sensitive information with others.
“We call on SSS members and employers not to divulge personal information such as their social security number, date of birth, and the like to people claiming as SSS employees,” he said.
“Gagamitin lang ng mga kawatan na ito ang inyong impormasyon upang makapanloko at nakawin ang inyong pinaghirapang pera. Gusto niyo ba pagsapit ng araw wala kayong pension,” he added.
It may be recalled that numerous incidents of fraud and theft from bank account shareholders were reported last December, many of which were lured from a fraudulent e-mail that looked legitimate in a process also known as ‘phishing.'”
The SSS has also warned the public against joining social media groups that claim to aiding on various online transactions for a nominal fee, despite these services being available for free.
Gordon, a lawyer by profession, discouraged people from patronizing such illegal activities, for fixers are not responsible for any hitches that may arise in the performance of transactions.
“Considering there is a pandemic right now, we should be more patient in the processing of our papers. Going to fixers is never the answer because you are condoning illegal activities,” he pointed out.
“Bureaucratic red tape was reduced thanks to the Anti-Red Tape Act, and we call on the SSS to continue providing efficient service so that people will not resort to drastic measures such as fixers,” he added.
Gordon is considered as a strong ally of the SSS, as he is the principal author of Republic Act (RA) 11199, or the Social Security Act of 2018.
The law reconfigured the SSS Charter last set in 1997, which provided a PhP2,000 across-the-board increase in the monthly pension with corresponding adjustment to the minimum monthly pension to existing members. It also extended social security protection to overseas Filipino workers and their beneficiaries and provided unemployment benefits to eligible unemployed members.
He was also author and sponsor of RA 11548, which deferred legislated increases in contributions of the SSS under RA 11999 for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
