The Philippine Department of Health says scammers are using the health secretary's name to ask for money. Here is why a familiar name is not proof.
The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) says scammers are pretending to be Health Secretary Edwin Mercado to ask people for money. The agency issued the warning on Tuesday, 27 October 2026. According to the DOH, the fake requests are arriving in messages and phone calls.
In an advisory, the DOH said individuals have been using the secretary's name to ask for donations and to carry out unauthorized transactions. In plain terms, someone claims to speak for a top official and asks you to send money or make a deal. The agency says any message or call like that, using the secretary's name, is not official and not true.
Scams like this work because a big name feels trustworthy. A request that appears to come from a government official can make people act fast and ask fewer questions. The DOH is telling the public to be careful and not to engage with, give money to, or make deals with suspicious accounts, numbers or messages.
The warning is aimed at anyone in the Philippines who gets a message or call that claims to come from the health secretary. That includes everyday donors, business owners and health workers. If you never hear from anyone using the secretary's name, there is nothing you need to do.
The alert box above lists the steps. The short version: do not pay, do not share personal details, and check the request with the DOH itself before doing anything else.
The DOH did not say how many people have been contacted, how much money may have been lost, or which accounts and numbers are involved. It also did not say whether it has reported the matter to other authorities. The agency has so far only asked the public to stay alert and to rely on its official website and social media pages for verified announcements.
A familiar official's name is not proof. Check any money request with the agency itself before you send anything.
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