The Southern Police District (SPD) warned the public of a resurgence of an old social media post about an alleged “chop-chop” syndicate involving police officers.

The Facebook post made public on Feb. 17, 2024 about the alleged "chop-chop syndicate" involving police officers (Screenshot from Facebook)

The same Facebook post uploaded on Dec. 4, 2017 (Screenshot from Facebook)

On Facebook, a post about the supposed syndicate was uploaded on Feb. 17. It read:

“FYI people living in valle verde, binondo, c5 near bgc.

“Forwarding as received.

“Sharing from another Viber group, (By a DLSU school mate)

“This came from a good friend whose 30- yr old son almost became a victim of a scam yesterday. Please spread and be vigilant. "All, am sharing what happened to my son yesterday. My son was almost a victim of chop chop syndicate yesterday. He was stopped along public road going to white plains.

“A woman stepped in front of the car and pretended to have been hit. Good thing he stopped a few feet away as he was travelling slow. The Police came almost immediatelty and was telling him to get in their police vehicle while holding a gun. there were 3 policemen. He was already shouting in the street to get attention that it was a scam. Since there was no bump in the hood, they brought out a pipe to hit the car as proof she got hit.

“He only escaped because he threw 3000 pesos in 100 bills in the air and just sped away in the car while people were already watching. Police did not chase him. We called our PNP friend. My son was the 5th victim (almost). Our friend said areas reported were green meadows, valley verde, binondo, c5 near bgc.

“They would get the car as chop chop and probably take him for ransom. They are REAL policemen daw! Grabe!!! This happened at 3pm in broad daylight. Am spreading this as i think our first defense is public awareness. Pls spread but keep names out. This is real.”

A check on Facebook posts showed that the same warning circulated as early as 2017.

According to the SPD, “Recently, there has been social media posts detailing an alleged scam of a ‘chop chop syndicate' involving police officers. While this post may cause concern, there have been no reported such incidents or victims who asked for assistance to any of the police stations in Southern Police District.”

The SPD said “validation has been made and found no truth to any of the claims in the said post. It is crucial to approach such information with atmost discernment and verify its authenticity before posting.”

“It is worth noting that a similar post has circulated back in previous years through Facebook posts, suggesting a modus operandi involving individuals posing as police officers to execute scams. Given this historical context, the possibility that the current claims are a resurgence of an old hoax,” it added.

According to the SPD, which has jurisdiction over the cities of Taguig, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Makati, Parañaque and Pasay, and the municipality of Pateros, explained that “in order to ensure the safety and security of the community, Southern Police District has placed extensive security measures such as active police presence especially to crime prone areas with the end goal of preventing crime. SPD remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring public safety and maintaining law and order.”

“Any reported incidents, whether verified or not, should be promptly communicated to the appropriate authorities for thorough investigation.Public awareness is crucial, but equally important is responsible sharing of information to prevent unnecessary panic and misinformation. We encourage the public to exercise caution, verify facts, and rely on official channels for accurate and up-to-date information,” it said.