Although Filipino expatriates in the UAE are accustomed to receiving traffic fine notifications via SMS, this is not the practice in the Philippines. On Friday, Philippine authorities alerted the public to scams disguised as traffic violation messages. The Land Transportation Office (LTO) of the Philippines clarified that all such messages are fraudulent and should be disregarded. Vigor Mendoza II, the chief assistant secretary of the LTO, stated in a report by the state news agency PNA, "We want to remind everyone that the LTO does not issue traffic violations via text messages or any messaging app. If you receive such a message, it is from scammers." The deceptive SMS includes a link that directs recipients to a fake LTO website requesting personal information. Mendoza advised, "Never input your vehicle license plates or provide details about your bank or e-wallet accounts. It's best to ignore all such messages as they are undoubtedly scams." The transport authority is collaborating with other government agencies to identify and apprehend the individuals behind these fraudulent activities.