New variants of text-based phishing messages aka smishing have been seen recently online with quite a number of netizens posting screenshots of what they’ve received supposedly from BDO.
Earlier this week, BDO released an advisory on their official Facebook page warning their account holders of the increasing reports that they’ve been getting.
Did you receive this scam text? Scammers send out messages like this to thousands of mobile numbers, even to non-BDO customers. Alert your family and friends who may have also received the text.
Be smarter than a scammer. Do not click on this link that asks you to verify suspicious account activity.
Remember: We will never send you links to verify your account or to collect customer information. #BDOAntiScam
BDO Official Facebook Page
These smishing campaigns are not only being sent out via SMS. There were Facebook accounts (allegedly compromised) that were being used to spread the same messages via Messenger.
BDO has been the subject of online bashing for the poor service of their mobile app. This is most likely the reason why the scammers behind this recent surge of smishing targetted the bank.
It is worth noting as well that the people behind this scam is also the same ones targeting UnionBank customers. One netizen shared a screenshot of an SMS he received last month supposedly from UnionBank. The same sender also sent a message with BDO phishing link this week.
Another variant of this smishing campaign makes use of a BDO-related URL but eventually redirects to a BPI phishing site.
We reviewed the domains associated in these variants and they’re all related to the same IP address that we reported last month.
Below are the new malicious banking domains associated with the IP 163[.]44[.]136[.]225:
| Date Registered | Malicious Domain |
| 2020-10-12 | bdoonline-privacy[.]com |
| 2020-10-13 | bdoonlinesecurity[.]com |
| 2020-10-13 | onlinebdo-security[.]com |
| 2020-10-05 | metro-bank[.]xyz |
| 2020-09-16 | online-bdobank[.]com |
| 2020-09-14 | onlinebdobanking[.]com |
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