By CESAR JOLITO III

Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr. has issued a public warning after a fraudulent Facebook account surfaced online impersonating him and attempting to interact with residents.

In his Facebook post, Escalante said the fake account has been sending friend requests and private messages while falsely presenting itself as his official social media presence.

He clarified that the account is not his and has no authorization to represent him in any capacity.

The mayor stressed that any communication, requests or transactions initiated through the impersonating account should be considered fraudulent.

He reiterated that he does not solicit money, favors or personal information through unofficial or personal social media platforms.

Escalante urged the public to exercise caution by avoiding suspicious or duplicate accounts, refusing to engage with unsolicited messages, and never sharing sensitive personal or financial information online.

He also called on residents to immediately report the fake account through Facebook’s reporting system to prevent further victims.

City authorities are now coordinating with law enforcement agencies and Facebook for the swift takedown of the account and to identify those behind the scheme.

The mayor appealed to the public to remain vigilant and rely only on his verified and official communication channels for accurate information and announcements./CJ, WDJ