Scammers use PAGASA to solicit cellphone load

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) on Wednesday issued a warning via its official Twitter account against sending SMS load to people claiming to be its representatives. "PAGASA is not asking for any cellphone load. Please don't give if requests are being made in the name of PAGASA or its personnel. It is a scam," PAGASA warned. The tweet has been making the rounds in cyberspace, much to the amusement of online Pinoys. "Kaaliw ang pinoy," said @DvinemLee. "PAGASA is NOT asking for cellphone load. but will accept any doppler radar you can spare," quipped @donronX. In a phone interview with GMANews.TV, PAGASA chief officer-in-charge Robert Sawi explained that several of his staffmembers earlier received calls from an unidentified scammer posing as Sawi and requesting for cellphone load. "May tumawag daw [sa staffmember ko] na humihingi ng P300 load in my name pero nabosesan daw na hindi ako kaya nagduda (Someone supposedly called one of my staff asking for P300 load in my name, but the staff doubted it was me because the voice was different)", Sawi told GMANews.TV. The scam had come to his attention enough times that he decided to post a warning on the weather bureau's Twitter account, he said. — VS, GMANews.TV