Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Sunday, February 11 warned the public against the proliferation of love scams this month amid the Valentine’s Day celebration.
Gatchalian issued the warning, noting that this month, unscrupulous individuals may take advantage of individuals who are likely to seek or try online dating as part of the “love month.”
“Individuals interested in online dating should watch out for unscrupulous individuals who are out to take advantage of them through romance or love scams,” said Gatchalian, who is pushing for Senate Bill No. 2407 or the proposed Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act.
The senator said the bill may soon help thwart scammers from luring potential victims through online dating applications or apps.
In the context of internet love scams, Gatchalian noted that a scammer usually creates an attractive but fake profile account on social media to draw the interest of potential victims to a relationship which eventually develops at a fast pace.
After earning the trust and confidence of the victim, the scammer would then ask for a significant amount of money and once transmitted, the victim is usually ghosted by the scammer for good.
The senator noted that the “love scam” is one of those commonly employed by criminal syndicates particularly those using the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) as a front, alongside investment scams and cryptocurrency scams.
These cybercriminals, Gatchalian noted, often prey on both men and women, those who are struggling with relationships, or those emotionally vulnerable, including older people.
“Huwag tayong basta nagpapabihag sa iba't ibang uri ng love scam (Let’s not be swayed by these different love scams),” the lawmaker said.
“Kailangan nating maging mapanuri sa ating mga transaksyon lalo na kung may kinalaman ito sa pinagpaguran nating pera (We need to be critical about our personal transactions, especially if this involves your hard earned money),” he emphasized.
Gatchalian expressed hope for the swif enactment of SB No. 2407 soon into law, citing the need for the government to enhance its efficacy in going against unlawful activities that utilizes financial accounts or e-wallets for various scamming activities including love scams.