Two Catholic bishops in the Bicol region are warning the public about social media accounts using their identities to solicit donations following recent typhoons. The Archdiocese of Caceres shared a screenshot this week of a fake Facebook account using Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon’s name and photo. The archdiocese advised the public to report the account as fraudulent and to refrain from engaging with it.
“The archbishop does not solicit funds, personal information, or any private communication through his personal social media,” the archdiocese said. It also noted that Alarcon’s official accounts and those of the archdiocese are “clearly identified and verified.” In super typhoon-stricken Catanduanes, Bishop Louie Occiano of Virac reported a similar case of a Facebook account using his name and photo.
He warned the public not to interact with the account. “We suspect somebody who would like to take advantage of the situation,” Occiano said. “Please do not accept any friend request or any solicitation from this fraudulent account using my name,” he said.
.
