Arthur Fuentes

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Aneth Ng-Lim, Paying It Forward

Aneth Ng-Lim

<div> </div>Along with many netizens, I followed the sad plight of content creator Jana Berenguer who lost her savings from not just one, not two, but three accounts in one day.No one deserves to lose their hard-earned money, and in Jana’s case, she shared via a video post that she didn’t just lose her savings: the money was meant to pay suppliers for her small business and, more importantly, for a surgery her young son urgently needed.While I empathized as a mother and a small business owner, having worked in a bank for nearly two decades, I caught some red flags in her statements.  And when these red flags were discovered by her bank as part of their investigations, I knew her money was gone for good.So what went wrong?  Jana’s mobile phone was accessed by other people in her circle, which she admitted in a media interview.  The day before her savings were wiped out, using her phone, someone requested to add a device to her account.  This request was authenticated by a One Time PIN (OTP) also sent to her registered mobile number.  When that was set up, the fraudster withdrew funds from her 3 accounts amounting to P189,000 the next day.According to her bank, which Jana also verified in her video, her mobile phone received alerts for each of these withdrawals.  Sadly, Jana did not see the alerts until hours later.  We don’t know everyone who had access to Jana’s phone the day before the withdrawals, but we can assume that they are part of her inner circle.  They could be work colleagues, friends, even family.  But Jana’s case is a tale of woe that should serve as a warning to us who to trust with our account information and personal devices.From my work experience, I recall 3 cases of fraud in particular where the victims were betrayed by their trusted work associate, friend and family.  Here are their cautionary tales that may help you from being a fraud victim.<div>#1 Secretary took over boss’ credit card</div>The boss left it to his secretary to handle his credit card payments.  Every month, the secretary would present him with the bill, and he would give her a check to pay it off.  But one time, the secretary was out of the office and the credit card statement was handed to the boss.  He opened it and was shocked to see unfamiliar charges.  After all, he does not order from shopping apps.  His credit card was used only for business expenses such as treating clients to lunch or dinner.  He called the credit card company to complain and was shocked to realize the culprit was right next to him: his secretary.Turns out the secretary has been using his card to pay for her personal shopping.  She has access to his personal information if verification is needed. She registered her own mobile number to the account so the OTPs go to her. When confronted, she would not admit when this started and just how much she has charged to her boss’ card.  She said it was this one time and that she only got confused and keyed in the wrong credit card.The boss looked at the statements for the last 3 months, then 6 months, then a year and saw that this has been going on for a long time.  He had to replace all his credit cards – just in case – and update his accounts to ensure the secretary cannot access his funds again.  And by the way, she was also fired.<div>#2 Shoulder surfing friend stole her money</div>If you’re not familiar with the term, shoulder surfing is a social engineering technique where someone with ill intent observes your device’s screen or keypad to steal sensitive information like passwords, PINs, or credit card details.At their office, the victim sat next to her friend (also known as fraudster) and the space was tight enough that they can easily look at each other’s computer screen if needed.  One day, the victim accessed her bank account and saw a withdrawal she did not make.  She called the bank and was told the withdrawal was made as an online transfer after a successful log-in.  So she asked the office to investigate if anyone used her computer or mobile phone.  A review of the CCTV footage on the day and time of fund transfer showed her friend and seatmate using her computer and then checking her mobile phone.  She called the bank and asked if the withdrawal was credited to her friend’s account (she knows the account number as they pay each other often for meals and shopping).  When she got confirmation, she presented all the facts to her friend, who confessed she needed it to pay her credit card.  The victim also filed a report with the company HR and the fraudster decided to resign to prevent getting fired.<div>#3 When your son is the fraudster </div>Mommy cardholder was surprised to see her bill balloon to nearly six figures and called the bank immediately.  But the bank confirmed all charges – made with online gaming sites – and said these were supported with OTPs.  She checked her phone and did not see any OTP messages from her bank in her message history.Her bank had to present her with time stamps and she saw the charges were made close to midnight or very early morning.  At first she suspected her helpers.  So she set a trap and left her phone where she usually left it before going to bed.  And then she saw her young son get her phone, and watched him make an online purchase with her credit card.  He had her mobile phone with him too, knowing to wait for OTP for the charge to go through.After she calmed down, she spoke to her son who admitted to it, and worse, she learned that he would also let some friends use it so they can all play online.  At the end of the day, fraud is not just about strangers lurking in the digital shadows. It can also come from the people closest to us. That makes it even more painful, but also more preventable. Protecting your money begins with protecting your trust: set boundaries, secure your devices, and never let convenience outweigh caution.Remember, your hard-earned savings are not just numbers on a screen. They represent your dreams, your family’s needs, and your future. Guard them well.

While I empathized as a mother and a small business owner, I caught some red flags in her statements.

While I empathized as a mother and a small business owner, I caught some red flags in her statements.

Fraudsters are not always strangers, some come from our trusted circle

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Fraudsters are not always strangers, some come from our trusted circle

Aneth Ng-Lim

Published September 23, 2025 12:31 PM PHT

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fraud

online banking

OTP

credit card

personal finance

Aneth Ng-Lim

Paying It Forward

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