A WOMAN who used the identity of her teenage niece to have an “online romance” with a 70-year old meat vendor from Tarlac City and managed to get nearly P1 million from him was arrested on Tuesday by agents of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group.

The accused identified only as alias “Tita” was locked up in jail by the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit 3 on the strength of a warrant of arrest for violation of Section 4(b)(3) or the Computer related Identity Theft under Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 issued by a Tarlac City Regional Trial Court, said PNP-ACG OIC Col. Vina H. Guzman.

The official said that an investigation showed that the accused created a Facebook account last year using her niece’s name and began messaging the victim. The victim and the suspect later developed an online romance, with the elderly meat vendor not realizing he was chatting with a con artist.

During the period, the suspect persuaded the victim to send her money and gifts, which the complainant said totaled nearly P1 million.

The RACU 3 said that when questioned, the suspect’s niece revealed that she was only 17-years-old when her aunt started the scam. The teenager said that she discovered that on her 18th birthday, the suspect requested more money and gifts from the victims supposedly for their celebration.

The teener said she later suspected that something was wrong when she received information that her aunt had been receiving money and gifts from the victim.

She said that she discovered the gifts inside her aunt’s house when she paid her a surprise visit.

This prompted the teenager to contact the complainant and join him in filing a formal complaint before the RACU 3.

Following the incident, the police official highlighted anew the importance of caution in online dating, especially given the rise of romance scams.

“It is crucial to remain vigilant when communicating online,” she said.

“We must remember that not everything we see on social media is genuine. Always verify the identity of the person you are speaking with before sending money or gifts to ensure they are who they claim to be. Taking this simple precaution can protect you from becoming a victim of a romance scam,” the PNP-ACG OIC explained.

PNP-ACG records showed that from January 1 to November 8 this year, they have already investigated 77 cases of “Romance/Love Scam.” During the same period in 2023, cybercops took cognizance of 158 similar cases.

There were also a total of 1,120 cases of “Computer-Related Identity Theft” recorded by the PNP-ACG during the same period this year compared to the 1,409 it monitored from January 1 to November 8, 2023.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon