In real estate, there’s a running joke every time December rolls around: big family reunions don’t just bring lechon, karaoke, and unsolicited life advice. They also bring out the sudden need for a representative—because somehow, land partition always finds its way into the conversation.
You know the scene. Aunties counting who inherited what. Uncles questioning titles they haven’t seen since the ’90s. Someone blurting out an out-of-touch or mildly insensitive remark, usually right after grace before meals. It’s tradition at this point.
But beyond the usual chaos, there’s one family activity I’d argue is far more productive this season.
No, it’s not group therapy.
It’s scam prevention orientation.
The New Family Duty of the Young Generation
Scams have evolved. They’re no longer obvious “Nigerian prince” emails or badly worded text messages. Today’s scams look legit. They use spoofed numbers that appear to be from banks, government offices, or telcos. They hit e-wallets and credit cards quietly and quickly.
This is where the younger generation comes in.
Family reunions are the perfect time for digital natives—Gen Z, millennials, the tech-savvy cousins—to sit down with parents, titos, titas, and even lolo and lola, and explain:
- Why a “verified” number can still be fake
- Why links sent via SMS or Messenger should never be clicked impulsively
- Why urgency is a scammer’s favorite weapon
- Why banks and government agencies don’t ask for OTPs or passwords
No lecturing. No shaming. Just calm, practical guidance—preferably over coffee and kakanin.
When Scams Come in Layers
Scams today aren’t just one-step cons. They’re layered operations.
Recently, even major companies like Cebu Pacific were affected by large-scale fraudulent transactions. Here’s how these scams typically work:
Credit card details are illegally obtained through phishing and social engineering. Scammers then use those cards to book multiple flights. Instead of flying, they exploit flexible booking policies to convert tickets into travel funds. Since travel funds can’t be withdrawn as cash, scammers sell them at a discount by acting as fly-by-night “travel agencies,” booking flights on behalf of unsuspecting buyers.
Victims lose money. Buyers think they’re getting a deal. Scammers disappear.
One scam feeds another.
And the scariest part? Many victims don’t realize what happened until much later.
From Land Titles to Digital Safety
As a proptechpreneur, I often talk about protecting assets—titles, properties, investments. But in today’s world, digital assets deserve the same level of protection.
A stolen e-wallet balance or compromised credit card can undo years of careful budgeting. And unlike land disputes, these losses are fast, quiet, and emotionally exhausting.
So maybe this year, instead of arguing about who gets which portion of ancestral land, families can unite over something more urgent: protecting each other from scams.
A New Kind of "Small Gifts" Exchange
To end the reunion on a lighter note, here’s an idea.
Instead of exchanging novelty mugs or exchange-gift candles, try a small gifts exchange where the real present is knowledge:
- Help an elder update passwords and enable two-factor authentication
- Unsubscribe them from suspicious messages
- Install official banking apps and remove fake ones
- Teach them how to verify links and numbers
- Walk them through what to do before panic sets in
Busting scams is the gift that keeps on giving.
It may not come wrapped in Christmas paper, but it protects peace of mind—and that’s worth more than anything under the tree.
