The brazenness of scammers often goes through fits and starts. Within the last few weeks, I’ve had three separate people in my immediate circle fall for three separate scams. I’ve received similar emails myself. With the Christmas season approaching, we’re living in a particularly brazen period, and it’s time for a very important PSA. Here’s how to spot a scam email today:

Check the contents of the message

Most scam or phishing attempts today will ask you to submit sensitive information like your log-in details or bank information to a seemingly innocuous platform. Obviously, these platforms are fake, and you’re surrendering your information to a malicious party. Unfortunately, these scams are getting much better with disguising their deception. If you put them side by side with a real email or message, you might find it hard to spot crucial differences. So, how do you clock them before it’s too late?

Start with the actual message. Companies will not ask you to submit your details on an email or on a message. It doesn’t matter if the message is claiming an issue (someone allegedly using your card) or a reward (your points are about to expire). If it’s not your usual way of logging in or submitting this information, then it’s likely fake.

Some might even include a highly suspicious link that leads to a log-in page. If that link is from a link shortener (like bit.ly) or looks nothing like the company’s real site, don’t click it. If you do click, check the URL for anomalies. In the below example, “Maya” claims that someone else tried to change the email on my account. Besides how unofficial the alert looks, the button does not lead to Maya’s website.

Now, on rarer occasions, the message itself has telltale signs of deception: typographical errors, missing words, extra spaces. A normal message should have already filtered these errors out, so there’s a good chance that it’s a fake message if it has any of these errors.

Basically, if something feels off straight from the get-go, cast doubt immediately and be vigilant.

Check the sender

Ensuring a fake message is clean should be easy stuff for scammers. A simple spell checker can trick a simple user into doing whatever the scammer wants. One aspect that’s way harder to change is the sender.

An email might have the cleanest copy, but one look at the sender dismantles all deception. In three of the four scam emails I’ve seen in the past two weeks, the sender was the ultimate telltale sign.

In the example below (the same one as above), the sender presents itself as “MayaPH.” If you weren’t paying attention, you would have been fooled into thinking that this is actually Maya. But, if you open the sender information, you’ll see that it’s coming from an unknown email, rather than an official Maya email address.

On a PC, this is easy to check because the email address automatically pops up beside the sender’s name when you open the email. On mobile, you’ll have to press the drop-down button below the sender’s name.

Verify the information yourself

Let’s move to the next level. What if the message looks official and seemingly comes from an official sender?

Unfortunately, scammers today can also spoof senders. Meaning, they are able to send official-looking messages and mask themselves as official senders. In the below example, “BPI” sent me an alert saying that someone tried to spend PhP 19,250 from my account. Take note: this is the same thread where I got real messages from the bank, which the scammer managed to hijack.

The message looks real. I can’t spot a single typo. Now, if you spotted this and thought it was real, you’d enter a state of panic and click the link out of instinct. The scammer is depending on your instinct to do so. Here’s why you shouldn’t click it: That’s not BPI’s official website. It looks like it, but it’s not.

Of course, you can’t be faulted for not memorizing official company websites. In fact, I had to Google the URL just to confirm that it was fake.

A surefire way to make sure, though, is checking the supposed information yourself. When I got the message, I checked my BPI app immediately. There was no trace of the transaction, so I knew it was fake. You can also call them yourself using their official numbers.

This isn’t limited to banks, either. Another example I’ve seen is one claiming that your Spotify subscription failed to renew. In this case, you can manually check your Spotify app to see if your subscription hasn’t been renewed.

Scammers are hopeful that you panic and run to them, rather than the official channels.

Sometimes, friends cannot be trusted

Though we can avoid falling for traps ourselves, other people still can. After an account is hacked, the hacker’s usual play is to message the account’s contact list to get other people.

Because it’s seemingly coming from a loved one’s account, a user is more likely to follow whatever the hacker wants, including clicking suspicious links.

In my experience, this type of scam is rarer these days, but it’s not completely gone. I’ve had one experience wherein a contact from Discord messaged me and tried getting me to play a game with them. The game itself was non-existent. The goal was to have me click a suspicious link and install malware on my computer. The malware can then give the hacker complete access to my PC and every account it’s logged into.

It’s a very nasty malware, but it’s fairly easy to prevent. If you get a message from a friend that isn’t their typical behavior, contact them on a separate platform, preferably on one that doesn’t rely on the net like SMS. If that’s not possible, contact someone near to them.

Address a potential hack immediately

Even with all these precautions, sometimes we can’t prevent ourselves from falling into these scams. If you find yourself victimized by scammers, respond immediately.

First of all, secure the targeted platform first. If it’s an app or a service, change passwords immediately and add two-factor authentication. If it’s a bank, call and appraise them of the situation. You might have to spend some time with a frozen account or without a card, but it beats having all your money sucked dry.

Now, if you suspect that your entire device was compromised, disconnect from the internet immediately. A hacker is toothless if they can’t connect to their prey. Then, using another device, reset every account that the hacker might have access to. If you know how, manually disconnect your accounts from the affected device. Once clear, do a clean install/reset of the device to hopefully weed out the malware.

Apple Pay is officially in the Philippines!

Pushing the country forward into a cashless and cardless future, Apple has now brought its contactless payment system to the Philippines. As with other countries, Apply Pay will work seamlessly and easily even for those who have problems with technology.

Now, despite how easy it is, sometimes we need to be pointed in the right direction. Here’s how you can set up Apple Pay on your iPhone:

Everything starts with the Wallet app. First, open your Wallet app. Tap the “+” button on the top and select “Debit or Credit Card.”

Normally, this is where you can input your card details (which you can still do, by the way), but the default method now is to just tap your card on the back of your iPhone. Your phone does the rest. You might need to confirm with your bank, but it’s as easy as a single tap.

Pick which cards to use. Once you have your cards online, you might need to change which one is the default card. Again, it’s easy. Just drag your preferred card to the front.

Afterwards, you can tap to pay in supported stores by priming the Wallet app for use. Tapping to pay is also available for Apple Watch. Meanwhile, online transactions can also work on MacBook.

Secure, all the time. If you’re worried about your security especially with online transactions, Apple keeps your information only between you and the seller. They don’t store your data.

Also, it’s not easy to make a transaction without your consent. You need Face ID, Touch ID, or your password. If you lose your phone, you can easily shut your phone down with the Find My app to prevent malicious parties from making transactions.

The mid-year sale season is here, but the days of mindless impulse buying are over.

Shoppers are shifting toward intentional, value-driven decisions, focusing on quality, authenticity, and actual utility over flashy, low-quality gimmicks.

From 8:00 PM on June 5 until 11:59 PM on June 8, 2026, the Lazada 6.6 Super WOW Sale is dropping major discounts. But the real win is using the platform’s tools to maximize your budget.

Lock in the baseline discounts

Before diving into specific items, map out how to stack the core offers.

You can stretch your money by hunting down LazFlash Deals for up to 90% off, collecting up to PhP 3,000 in stackable vouchers, and ensuring every order qualifies for the free shipping offers available throughout the event.

True value comes from combining these three layers of savings on things you already need.

Jisulife: One of the participating, trusted brands you can get from LazMall

Filter for authentic value

Shopping smart means avoiding the trap of “too good to be true” counterfeits that end up in the trash.

Data shows a massive consumer shift toward trusted quality, with LazMall growth vastly outperforming standard listings during major sales.

To ensure your money goes toward genuine products with real warranties, restrict your browsing to official, brand-certified stores.

If you are upgrading your tech, parenting gear, or wardrobe, look to trusted names anchoring the sale like UGREEN, JisuLife, ANTA, Maserati Watches, Momcozy, and O.TWO.O.

UGREEN: One of the participating, trusted brands you can get from LazMall

Outsmart the noise with built-in tech

Don’t waste hours scrolling through endless listings or guessing which product is better.

The smartest way to navigate a massive mid-year event is to let the platform’s built-in features cut through choice paralysis.

Tools like AI Lazzie and AI Picks allow you to instantly compare similar items, analyze prices, and get personalized recommendations based on actual data rather than generic marketing hype.

Smart Shopper Tip: True value is a mix of the right price, verified authenticity, and a seamless return policy. Use this sale period to stock up on everyday essentials and high-quality upgrades rather than panic-buying items you’ll regret later.