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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Take care of your heart': CICC warns vs 'love scam' as Valentine's nears

'Take care of your heart': CICC warns vs 'love scam' as Valentine's nears

Published Jan 31, 2024 08:34 am

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) on Wednesday, Jan. 31 reminded the public to be cautious against love scams as the month of love approaches.

Pixabay.jpg
Photo from Pixabay

"Take care of your heart, don't be too hasty, there are love scams," CICC Executive Director Alexander Ramos said during the launch of the agency's "Unmatched" campaign against love scams.

He emphasized that while the public should always listen to their hearts, they should also follow their minds, especially when it comes to illegal scams targeting vulnerable hearts.

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National cybersecurity movement Scam Watch Pilipinas held a education campaign titled #Unmatched at the National Cybercrime Hub in Taguig City, January 31, 2024, aiming to educate people against love scam and different kind of scams that thieves and scammers may use as the Valentine's Day nears. (Arnold Quizol)

"So, let's listen carefully to what our heart is saying, but let our mind prevail when it comes to whether it's a scam or not," Ramos said in a mix of English and Filipino.

"During special occasions, our emotions can become somewhat vulnerable to love scams," he added.

Moreover, Ramos highlighted that love scams can target individuals of any age.

However, he noted that the most prevalent victims of love scams tend to be women and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and allied (LGBTQIA+) community.

"Let's awaken to the truth that our world has many scammers. We can't eradicate them; they're really there," Ramos pointed out.

"As our population grows, they are already present," he added.

The love scam is identified as the 10th fraudulent style to watch out for in CICC's anti-scam campaign, "12 Scams of Christmas," specifically focusing on dating scams.

According to the campaign, if someone encounters this style of crime, the public is advised to be cautious and "magdamot" (stingy).

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/5/anti-scam-christmas-campaign-launched-to-protect-filipinos-from-cyber-fraud-1 

Eight love scammers profile

Meanwhile, Jocel De Guzman, co-founder of Scam Watch Pilipinas—the national citizen arm of the Philippine government educating Filipinos against cyber fraud—introduced the "Eight Love Scammer Profiles."

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CICC/Scam Watch Pilipinas

This list comprises "red flags" to help individuals trace potential love scammers when interacting online.

One of the eight is the "Sad Boi, Sad Girl," according to Scam Watch Pilipinas, red flags associated with this tactic include having a sad life story, appealing to pity, and requesting to borrow money.

Another love scammer profile is "The Investor." In this case, perpetrators are often attractive foreigners who share extravagant lifestyle photos, respond mechanically like robots, and charm victims into investing in FOREX or Crypto.

Additional love scammer profiles include "The Seducer," "The Servicemen," "The Escort," "The Blackmailer," "The Slow Burn," and "The Predator."

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CICC/Scam Watch Pilipinas

Moreover, Scam Watch Pilipinas reiterated the four ways to avoid falling victim to love scams: "Magduda" (Doubt), "Magdamot" (Stingy), "Mangisnob" (Snob), and "Magsumbong" (Report or Complain) in the scam hotline, "1326."

"In love scam, we are introducing a new attitude, 'Magsikap' (Due Diligence)," De Guzman said.

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CICC/Scam Watch Pilipinas

He explained that adopting a "Due Diligence" attitude, which involves checking the background of the person one is communicating with and verifying their social media profiles, can help individuals avoid falling victim to love scams.

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CICC/Scam Watch Pilipinas

AI in love scam

In December 2023, CICC Director Rojun Hosillo highlighted the illicit use of artificial intelligence (AI) in love scams, specifically through the use of Deepfake technology.

He also emphasized that the internet is not a private space and reminded the public to prioritize their safety, especially in cyberspace.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/6/cicc-confirms-informal-complaints-regarding-love-scams 

Related Tags

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