The Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) warned the public against the so-called “love scammers’ who prey on single individuals looking for love or a partner for Valentine’s Day.
According to PNP-ACG spokesman Lt. Wallen Arancillo, they are monitoring incidents of “love scams” done mostly through the internet or social media.
Last year, the PNP-ACG recorded 72 love scam cases. This year, eight incidents have so far been logged.
“The eight cases are higher compared to the seven cases last year during the same period,” Arancillo noted.
Victims of love scams were usually persons pretending to be homecoming retired soldiers. The scheme involves shipping a package back home, but the recipient must first pay a substantial amount in purported delivery fee.
ACG records show that the largest amount lost in a love scam case was P600,000.
Last month, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and Scam Watch Pilipinas relaunched an awareness campaign against love scams.
Scam Watch co-convenor Jocel De Guzman said love scams often serve as a gateway for other types of scams such as loan or investment scams.
“What makes love scams particularly painful is the double agony — breaking someone’s heart while also stealing their money,” De Guzman said.
De Guzman said the public should watch out for photos that seem too perfect to be true that a person is posting in an unverified social media account.
“Another red flag is if the person consistently refuses video calls, avoids meeting in person, and — perhaps the most common warning sign — starts asking for money. This could include requests for personal funds, investments, or even loans,” he said.
CICC Executive Director Alexander Ramos called on the public to report any scams they encounter through hotline 1326.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “PNP cybercrime unit warns of love scams this Valentine’s weekend”