Receiving illicit messages from unknown senders can be a freaky experience already for most mobile users. But it only gets freakier still when such messages, otherwise called “spam,” would have the ability to identify the recipients with their full names.
That has been a subject of concern over social media recently, following reports of spam said to now be including the full names of the unwitting receiver.
Catching the attention of one concerned citizen, Data Analytics Head of ABS-CBN News Edson C. Guido, he took to Twitter, on August 30, 2022, to ask his followers if they received a similar text message.
Apart from stating how he would usually block such messages from getting sent to him again, he nevertheless expressed his surprise by saying how the spam had gone to the next level by being able to identify their target—followed by another tweet asking for the status of our data privacy.
See also: NPC administrative fines for data privacy infractions
Guido does not seem to be alone in the predicament, however, as his relative also received the same type of message, full names included.
While it is yet uncertain as to what causes the leak of individuals’ sensitive information, some speculate that it may have something to do with people’s online transactions when shopping online.
Consequently, GCash and some suspected e-commerce platforms were put in hot water because of the belief. None have responded to the claim just yet.