Caveat: Free 500 All - SMS

Are you a Globe subscriber? Are you aware of the number that you're always using to send text messages? Are you carried away with Globe freebies and you immediately get into them? Or are you suspicious?

In my case, sometimes, as a Globe phone user/subscriber, I avail myself of its freebies and special promos and I become used to them. Since Globe Telecom, Inc. is highly-respected telco and is efficient in providing services to its loyal subscriber, I have no second thought of taking advantage of such offerings.

However, recently, I have a second thought before responding to a text message I received. I have sensed that something is dubious for the message I received is requesting me to share a load to a number which I have not known or it is not in my phone directory. Instead, I replied back, saying that is a trick. Then I posted the message to my social media page to share it with my friends for them to be aware.

Anyway here's my recently activity. I received a text message from this number +639262139179, saying:

"Globe Advisory: As a Loyal Postpaid subscriber. You are Eligible for a FREE 500 ALL - SMS Monthly. To avail: text 500 send to 29262141488." 

An idea has prompted me that this is a scam. For I know, I used to share a load to my son and I am using his number by changing 0 to 2. A number preceded by 2 is a SHARE-A-LOAD command. However, if I don't know about if and I do it, I have transferred a load of 500 to the number mentioned. Just imagine losing 500 load to a "thief".

Better aware of this modus operandi. As I right away posted this to my social media account, some of my friends shared their reactions. One said that he had been victimized this surreptitious scheme of enticing an innocent Globe user like. He was lucky that his load balance is not enough. So he was saved from "noonday" swindle. Another friend blurted out, "This message sender is a criminal."

Globe Share-A-LoadShar

This is a scam in the guise of Globe Share-a-load service. Look at the process of sharing a load. This is an excerpt from Globe services:

To Share-A-Load with PIN: Text Amount<space>PIN and send to 2+10 digit prepaid number

          Ex. 100 1212 send to 29161234567

To Share-A-Load without PIN: Text Amount and send to 2+10 digit prepaid number

          Ex. 100 send to 29161234567

On top of the shared load, you will be charged P1.00/text.

I hope every Globe user is now aware and could avoid to be victimized by those text scam. How to Handle this? A complaint should be sent to Globe Telecom, Inc., via email so that the scam number may be blocked or whatever depending on the discretion of the Globe management so that it will be stopped right away.