Beware of romance scam, public told
THIS Valentine’s Day, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) has advised the public to be wary of ‘romance or love scams’ which siphon off not just victims’ money but also their quest for their “forever.”
PNP-ACG director Major General Sidney S. Hernia said the scam has become a serious concern as the number of complaints rose from 94 in 2022 to 168 in 2023.
During the period, the official said four culprits were apprehended and charged either through inquest proceedings or regular filing.
‘Romance scams’ members often create fake identities, posing as foreigners working abroad or in the military.
They initially capture the trust and confidence of their targets and once they already have “online romance,” that’s when they start exploiting the victims financially.
The scheme involves multiple individuals acting as the foreigner, a Bureau of Customs employee and a delivery person.
They use tactics like they need to pay the charge of the Customs bureau for the package sent to their targets.
A member of the syndicate would later pose as a Customs personnel and tell the victims that she indeed has to send money online to claim the packages which contain highly-dutiful goods and sometimes the charge is in US dollars.
Some scammers also convince their victims to invest in cryptocurrency which ultimately defrauds their targets of huge amounts of investment money.
This kind of cybercrime, according to Hernia, is punishable under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code or Swindling/Estafa in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
To effectively combat cybercrime effectively, the PNP-ACG has been releasing tips to prevent falling from said illegal activity through flyers, pamphlets, CyberTips on social media and through the conduct of regular seminars/lectures on public to further improve community awareness on the matter.
“February may be the season of love but there’s no designated time for Romance/Love Scams,” said Hernia as he emphasized the importance of keeping this in mind and to adopt the so-called ‘DYOR’ research
“’Do Your Own Research (DYOR). This proactive stance encourages individuals to thoroughly research before placing trust or investments in someone or something.
Stay cautious online. Trust your instincts and talk to friends when in doubt about any issu. Staying informed and being skeptical can help keep you safe from Romance Scams,” the official said.
Records showed that in 2023, the PNP-ACG investigated a total of 14,030 cybercrimes, including Romance Scam, identity theft, cyberlibel, online threats, data interference, computer-related fraud, sextortion and online violence against women and children.
The PNP-ACG said that the Romance Scam goes like this:
First, a ‘random messenger’ will send a message on social media or dating apps in an attempt to lure a prospective victim by flattering him/her and showing interest in his/her life.
The scammer then slowly builds an ‘online relationship’ with the victim using his glib-tongue and ultimately makes the target believe that he/she is something special that needs to be loved.
In some cases, small gifts are even sent by the scammer to the victim to further earn her/his trust and confidence.
Once their ‘online relationship’ progresses, the target will be asked to use a different platform such as WhatsApp or Telegram in order to isolate the victim from his/her friends and family.
This modus aims to make it harder to trace the identity of the scammer.
Once the victim falls in love with his/her ‘online lover,’ the latter will ask for money for a supposed medical emergency, a supposed investment or to pay for construction materials as he is having trouble with his bank abroad.
The scammer will even send details of his supposed bank certificates to the target with the promise of big returns in the future.
