New website helps Filipinos check if texts, emails are scams

“Scam Ba ‘To?” was created by John Clement Escobañez of National University Manila.

Unsure if that text or email you received is a scam? A new website made by a Filipino professor lets you check suspicious messages before you engage with them.

Called “Scam Ba ’To?,” the website was created by John Clement Escobañez of National University Manila’s College of Computing and Information Technologies to help Filipinos assess whether the messages they receive could be scams.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Escobañez said the idea came from his own family, who would often ask him to check whether the messages they received were safe.

During its early stages, he ran the system more than 40,000 times to improve its accuracy.

The website is intended to help users become more cautious and aware of the potential risks posed by suspicious messages and emails. The system uses more than 6,000 “behavioral representatives” alongside an engine developed by Escobañez to analyze messages and determine whether they are likely scams or legitimate.

But Escobañez said the website is only a tool, not a complete solution to the country’s scamming problem. He also encouraged Filipinos to learn how to properly assess and verify suspicious messages themselves.

A 2025 report by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance found that 77% of Filipino adults surveyed had encountered a scam, with text messages identified as the most common channel used by scammers.

The report also found that 17% of respondents were unable to determine whether the messages they received were scams.

In 2024, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center and trust-tech firm Gogolook reported that more than 6 million scam messages were sent in the Philippines.

How it works

Users can paste a message into the website’s dedicated text box. After agreeing to the terms and conditions, they can click the “Suriin ang Message” button to receive a suggested action.

A green result indicates that the message was assessed as likely safe, while a red result indicates a high chance that it is a scam. The website advises users not to engage with messages flagged as scams.

The text box can accept up to 12,000 characters, but users are discouraged from entering OTPs, PINs, passwords, or card numbers.

Escobañez said “Scam Ba ’To?” does not save or collect the data and messages submitted by users.

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