You don’t need us to tell you that the Philippines is a hotbed of scams. From politicians to regular citizens, Filipinos seem all too willing to make a quick buck out of any activity or deal. Just watch the Senate hearings on substandard (or even nonexistent) constructions carried out by the Department of Public Works and Highways, and it’s enough to make you want to migrate to another country.

The other day, a reader sent us a complaint about an alleged scam involving corporate tollway accounts that supposedly allows NLEX users to save on their Easytrip expenses by making a P28,000 one-time payment. Here is the letter:

Hello, Visor! Good day. I would like to raise a concern po pero please keep me anonymous. Nagulat lang kasi ako na meron din palang modus sa RFID, particularly sa Easytrip.

I am engaged in a transport business at lagi ako at mga drivers ko gumagamit ng NLEX kaya nag-open ako ng corporate account.

Tapos sabi ng isang driver ko, boss bakit hindi na lang natin gayahin yung sa ibang transport company. 28K one-time payment, unlimited load na. Pero isang card lang yon per company—hiram-hiraman sila. Dapat wala ka din sticker sa sasakyan kasi ita-tap lang yung card at ang lalabas na balance is P999,999, tapos bubukas na yung barrier.

May picture din pala ako ng card na ginagamit nila at nakakapagtaka din dahil walang account number and yung isa naka-class 2 yung card kahit class 1 lang naman mga sasakyan nila.

Kaya din daw pala 28K ang singil kasi 3K kay kakilala outside at 25K naman kay kakilala inside Easytrip.

Though tempting mag-avail dahil halos every day nga sa NLEX, kaso unfair naman sa mga kagaya natin na nagbabayad nang tama kaya mas pinili ko na i-raise ito para matigil na din ang ganitong modus.

Di ko pa po na-try i-report sa customer service ni Easytrip kasi nga may kakilala daw sa loob and di ko rin alam pano ang tamang pag-report sa ganitong case. I can also send you the photos of the card if needed. Thank you.

A reader sent us a complaint about an alleged scam involving corporate tollway accounts that supposedly allows NLEX users to save on their Easytrip expenses by making a P28,000 one-time payment

We forwarded said letter to our contacts at NLEX Corporation as well as the contact details of the reader. Easytrip then gave us the following reply:

We have been made aware of a social media post alleging the sale of Easytrip RFID cards that purportedly allow for “unlimited passage” through expressways.

Easytrip Services Corporation takes this matter seriously and has initiated a thorough investigation in coordination with relevant authorities. Our teams are verifying the authenticity of the claims and tracing any transactions or accounts that may be involved.

We would like to emphasize that the use of RFID cards must always comply with applicable rules and regulations. Each RFID transaction is digitally recorded and linked to a valid account with a corresponding load balance. Any activity suggesting otherwise is unauthorized and fraudulent.

To ensure your protection, we strongly advise motorists and corporate account holders to:

• Transact only through official Easytrip channels such as accredited service centers, authorized business partners, and our verified online platforms.

• Refrain from purchasing RFID cards from unauthorized individuals or third parties.

• Report any suspicious offers or activities immediately through our official customer service hotline (135000) or via e-mail ([email protected]).

Easytrip remains committed to safeguarding the integrity of its RFID system and upholding fairness and transparency for all customers.

Thank you for your continued trust and cooperation.

As we publish this, Easytrip is still investigating the matter and reaching out to the reader. We will update you once we get new information about the issue.

Anyway, we want to say that—whatever the outcome of the “investigation” will be—we are confident that we are way past being surprised anymore.

NOTE: We initially said that the statement came from NLEX Corporation. We stand corrected. It came from Easytrip.