2 Nigerians in ‘Honey’ love scam nabbed
CAMP VICENTE LIM, Canlubang, Calamba, Laguna – Two Nigerian nationals were arrested in Cavite for allegedly extorting some 400,000 from a Pinay businesswoman.
In a report to Police Regional Office 4A director Brig. Gen. Eliseo DC Cruz, nabbed were Felix Aondowase and Emmanuel Abia, both Nigerian nationals.
Operatives of the Anti-Cyber Crime Group and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group arrested the suspects in an operation in Dasmarinas, Cavite.
Aondowase and Abia allegedly posed as an Australian on a social media platform to woo the businesswoman.
When the victim entered into a romantic relationship with the “Australian” and sent him intimate pictures, her “Australian lover” blackmailed her and threatened to upload the photos if she did not send $8,000 or P400,000 to a Filipino couple in Tanza, Cavite.
The businesswoman sought the help of the police, which set up an entrapment, and arrested the Filipino couple, who then identified the two Nigerians.
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar immediately ordered an investigation of the activities of a syndicate of foreigners involved in online “love scam.”
”Hindi natin hahayaan na paglaruan lalo na ng mga dayuhan ang wagas na pag-ibig na inaalay ng ating mga kababayan,” Eleazar said.
“Laganap ang mga tinatawag na ‘love scammers’ sa iba’t-ibang social media platforms, kaya I would advise our kababayans to be cautious of persons they connect with online. The anonymity offered by the internet makes it a playground for scammers particularly at this time of pandemic when most of us are spending longer hours online,” the country’s top cop said.
