Manila Bulletin file photo/Noel Pabalate
In September 2021, a teary-eyed delivery rider went to the Malabon City police station to file a complaint against his customer who suddenly cancelled the order and could no longer be contacted for follow-up.
The policemen were so moved that they decided to contribute their own money to pay for the cancelled order.
More than two years later, this modus, that some netizens describe as a prank at the expense of hardworking delivery riders, still persists and in fact, is on the rise according to the Philippine National Police-Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG).
Calling it a “fakebooking scam”, PNP-ACG director Maj. Gen. Sidney Hernia said they have been recording one to six cases every week since January 2024.
Hernia said that during the second week of March alone, they recorded 43 cases.
“These fraudulent activities suddenly shifted in the second week of March, as the reported cases spiked by 10 within a single week,” said Hernia.
According to Hernia, delivery riders are the most common victims of “fakebooking scam”.
PNP-ACG Cyber Response Unit head Col. Jay Guillermo explained that the scam involves a perpetrator typically placing an order through cash on delivery.
“But upon the arrival of the unsuspecting victim at the designated delivery address, the suspect suddenly becomes unreachable and fails to settle the payment for the order,” said Guillermo.
ACG tips
In order to avoid being victimized, Hernia advised delivery riders to verify orders before accepting them by checking the details provided.
“They should also stick to reputable food delivery platforms with robust security measures, if possible, opt for online payments, and be alert to new scam trends or variations,” said Hernia.
And if they have already been victimized, Hernia said it is important to document everything, inform the delivery platform, and report to authorities immediately for proper action.
Lawmakers' initiative
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate have already filed their respective bills to protect the riders and run after the scammers.
In the House of Representatives, the measure was filed by Pinuno party-list Rep. Howard Guintu via House Bill 3784 while in the Senate, it was filed by Sen. Lito Lapid under the Senate Bill 38.
While waiting for the bills to be enacted into law, Guillermo said it is important that the delivery riders should always keep themselves informed on what to do and what not to do.
“Thus, awareness is the key to preventing fraud,” said Guillermo.