THE Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) on Thursday issued another urgent appeal for the public to protect themselves from online scams, which have predictably increased during the holiday season. The DICT, as is its mandate, regularly issues such warnings as part of its constant effort to safeguard the public, and it is a problem that we have highlighted several times as our part to support that effort. It is one topic that cannot be overstated or repeated too often because of the great deal of harm it can cause to individuals and businesses.