TECH4GOOD
Our increasing dependence on technology is creating more opportunities for bad actors to prey on us. Globally, cases of online hacks and scams are on the rise. These players and their schemes are getting more sophisticated, riding on the emergence of new technologies that make it easier for them to get on their dirty business.
Among these new forms of scamming, “love scams” cases have been hugging local news headlines lately. Love scams are becoming a concerning issue in the country today, with devastating financial consequences for the victims.
We need to understand that although they share the same financial objectives, there is a difference between a hacker and a scammer. Hackers use their technical knowledge to access their victims’ devices and accounts. Scammers, on the other hand, trick their victims into giving them the same access. Love scammers are likely to play on the emotions of their victims by employing the same techniques used by experts or even psychologists.
Love scammers often target individuals, primarily middle-aged, seeking companionship online, especially those recently out of relationships, widowed, or living alone. They would exploit those vulnerabilities by manipulating feelings of affection, compliments, and trust. This would usually progress to a closer relationship and deep attachment.
Using stolen photos and identities, they try to create believable personas and attractive profiles online and may claim to be successful businessmen, OFWs, or even royalties. I have heard of several cases that involved foreign nationals.
After gaining the trust of their targets, they would then fabricate emergencies or situations and request money for travel, investments, medical bills, or visas. The requests escalate over time, exploiting the victim’s emotional investment. In a recent case I watched on the news, a scammer was supposed to have arrived at the airport to visit his intended victim. He called up his victim, asking for a significant amount of money to allegedly pay off some airport officers who he said did not want to let him into the country unless he paid them off. Fortunately, the intended victim did not take the bait.
Our friendly and trusting nature makes some of us vulnerable to love scams and online manipulation. Scammers can easily exploit this eagerness, which leads to some of us acting impulsively without thoroughly evaluating the situation. They can even go to the extent of fabricating emergencies involving family members or pets, tugging at the victim’s heartstrings.
Enticing offers of love, wealth, and other potential rewards can draw some of us to take risks, even in questionable circumstances, and throw caution to the wind. In some cases, the script would involve a combination of online conversations and physical meetups. Some Filipinos would refer to these scam cases as budol-budol. Scammers create a sense of urgency to cloud your judgment and prevent you from reasoning before handing over money or personal information.
Online scammers are cunning individuals who employ various tactics to manipulate and exploit their victims. They can be seducers who, at some point, would request private information or intimate photos for potential blackmail. They can also impersonate successful businessmen and promise high investment returns and other financial schemes.
Our enforcement agencies have warned that love scams are becoming a top online concern. We are not just talking of cases involving thousands of pesos but hundreds of millions lost to scams.
To stop these love scammers in their tracks, we need to understand their playbook and empower ourselves to make informed decisions and stay safe online. We should be cautious of people we do not know who reach out to us with promises of quick money or romance. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Let us not be lured by promises of easy wealth or instant love.
Verifying information and photos can go a long way in ensuring we deal with a legitimate person. We can use reverse image searches or social media investigations to check the authenticity of profiles and photos used by online contacts. We can search the internet for ways to do this.
Regardless of how convincing the request may seem, we should never share personal information or financial details with anyone, especially online. This includes bank account numbers, pins, and passwords. If you believe something is suspicious, report it to the appropriate authorities and seek help from trusted friends or family.
Regularly updating ourselves about the latest online scams and tactics used by scammers would be an excellent step towards increasing our awareness about online safety. We should be our first line of defense against online scammers. Our warmth, trust, and quick responses make us susceptible to love scams.Staying vigilant, informed, and cautious can help us confidently navigate the digital world and protect ourselves from harm. Let us protect our hearts and our wallets!