The results of a recent survey show four primary reasons behind most Filipinos’ concern about sharing their information. 

The Consumer Pulse Survey Q2 2024, conducted by global information and insights company TransUnion, has shared some valuable insights regarding Filipino consumers. In particular, the survey shows that most Filipinos are concerned about data privacy and sharing their personal information. 

Out of the 944 adults surveyed by TransUnion, a whopping 89% expressed concern about sharing their personal information with others. 8% of respondents, on the other hand, are neutral about the topic, while 3% said they are not concerned at all. 

Survey results also show that there are four primary reasons behind this concern of Filipino consumers. The leading reason, according to the survey, is personal privacy invasion. 

Reasons Behind Concerns Regarding Data Privacy

According to the Consumer Pulse Survey Q4 2024, 78% of respondents cited personal privacy invasion as the reason why they are concerned about sharing information. Identity theft ranked second with 73% of respondents citing it as a reason. 

Aside from these, unsolicited marketing communications (42%) and government surveillance (23%) have also been named as reasons behind concerns regarding sharing personal information. 

It should be noted that, among the four reasons cited by respondents, the percentage of those who said unsolicited marketing communications grew by 4% from the data gathered in Q1 2024. Identity theft and government surveillance decreased by 1% each, while personal privacy invasion remained unchanged. 

Most Frequent Fraud Schemes That Target Customers

Concerns regarding the sharing of personal information are not unfounded, especially when the prevalence of fraud and scams is taken into consideration. In fact, 60% of respondents said that they were targeted by a fraud scheme but fortunately did not fall victim to it. 10%, however, admitted that they were victimized by such schemes. 

The Consumer Pulse Survey Q2 2024 listed the most frequent fraud schemes that target customers, particularly those involving online, email, phone call or text message fraud. Phishing, which the survey defined as “fraudulent emails, websites, social posts, QR codes, etc. meant to steal data” was ranked the most frequent fraud scheme that targets customers. 51% of respondents said they were targeted by phishing schemes. 

Ranking second is smishing (44%), which is defined by the survey as “fraudulent text messages meant to trick you into revealing data.” Money and gift card scams ranked third. 

The full list of the most frequent fraud schemes that target customers, according to the Consumer Pulse Survey Q2 2024, is as follows:

Protecting Oneself Against Fraud 

Given the prevalence of fraud schemes nowadays, both businesses and consumers must be extra vigilant when making transactions, especially online. Everyone should practice due diligence when transacting with businesses or strangers and do the proper checks to ensure that they are legitimate. 

This can be done by doing a quick search for websites, social media pages, and even reviews on different platforms. Businesses, in particular, can look out for red flags that can indicate if a customer is fraudulent, such as suspicious payment and delivery arrangements. 

Another way to protect oneself from fraud is by being careful with links that are received through text messages, emails, and messaging apps. Before clicking any link, make sure that the sender email or phone number is legitimate and look for possible red flags in the content of the message.