Widow a victim of ‘love scam’

TWO persons involved in the so-called “love scam” were arrested by agents of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) for gypping a 72-year-old widow of at least P1.9 million by posing as an American national in love with her, PNP-ACG director Brigadier General Sydney S. Hernia announced yesterday.

The suspects, a man and a woman, who were identified only through their aliases “Den Peter” and “Louie Peter,” were apprehended during an entrapment operation in Las Piñas City conducted by undercover officers from the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit (RACU) 4-A, the official said.

According to Hernia, the sting was triggered by a complaint from the widow from Batangas City who told investigators that she fell for a fraudulent online relationship that left her emotionally and financially devastated.

The widow said that last March 27, she met one “Evans Maxwell,” purportedly an American national, on Facebook. She described her Facebook friend as a “loving American boyfriend” who showed genuine interest on her.

During their Facebook conversations, the man managed to gain the complainant’s trust and affection and made her believe that he really wanted to meet her in the country.

However, the man persuaded her to send a total of P1.9 million purportedly as payment for her travel documents.

Believing in her “online boyfriend,” the victim initially sent a manager’s check for P700,000 to the latter and another P1.2 million through a money remittance center after getting an instruction from the supposed to be United States citizen.

Hernia said that to further obscure their malicious activities, the suspects convinced the victim to delete all transaction records stored on her device.

He said that it wasn’t until her online boyfriend, whom she had never met in person, asked for an additional US$20,000 that she finally realized she had fallen prey to a sinister plot known as the “love scam” and sought the help of the RACU 4-A in making the arrests.

“As the world of online dating continues to grow, the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group earnestly encourages individuals to exercise heightened caution and remain vigilant for warning signs. If your virtual partner unexpectedly requests financial assistance, it’s imperative to pause and reconsider,” Hernia said.

The arrested suspects were inquested for swindling/estafa in relation to Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, before a Las Piñas City Prosecutor’s Office last Thursday.

They are now being held at the Las Piñas City police lockup facility.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon