Beware of love scam, Tiangco warns public
A House leader warned public against the “love scam.”
Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco, chairman of the House Committee on Information and Communications, said people must be very vigilant to avoid these love scams.
“Siyempre, sana all may love life pero ayaw natin na maloko lang ng pekeng pag-ibig ang mga kababayan natin. True love dapat ang mahanap nila, hindi kriminal,” Tiangco said.
“Huwag po basta-basta magpadala sa damdamin. Hindi po sa lahat ng bagay, puso ang una nating paiiralin. Pinag-iingat natin ang mga kababayan natin dahil may mga masasamang-loob na patuloy na mananamantala kahit na alam nilang labag sa batas ang ginagawa nila.” he added.
Tiangco cited a study from a global information and insights company showing that, in the first half of the year, 18 percent of suspected digital fraud attempts in the communities sector—such as online forums and dating sites—originated from the Philippines.
“Nakakalungkot dahil marami pa ring nabibiktima ang ganitong modus na pinagsasamantalahan ang damdamin ng ating mga kababayan,” Tiangco said.
“Scammers target even the most personal and basic aspirations of people – to be loved and be in a committed relationship. Let us protect Filipinos from the financial, emotional, and psychological damage these scams cause,” he added.
According to the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), love scams exploit victims by creating fake identities to build trust, then using the illusion of a relationship to manipulate, extort, or steal from them.
He reminded the public to stay vigilant and report suspicious messages and activities to the anti-scam hotline 1326.
