By Raymond Carl Dela Cruz
MANILA – The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) and Scam Watch Pilipinas relaunched Wednesday an awareness campaign against love scams.
In a press conference at the National Cybercrime Hub in Taguig City, Scam Watch co-convenor Jocel De Guzman said love scams, which are expected to increase as Valentine’s Day approaches, often serve as a gateway for other type of scams such as loan or investment scams.
“What makes love scams particularly painful is the double agony — breaking someone’s heart while also stealing their money,” De Guzman said.
Some of the more common love scams were first introduced by CICC and Scam Watch in an information campaign in 2024. These were dubbed the “Sad Boi, Sad Gurl,” “Seducer,” “Investor,” “Servicemen,” “Escort,” “Predator,” and “Slow Burn” scams because of the role the scammers play using their target’s emotions against them.
As a reminder, De Guzman said the public should watch out for photos that seem too perfect to be true that a person is posting in an unverified social media account.
He also said some scammers have no social media accounts.
“Another red flag is if the person consistently refuses video calls, avoids meeting in person, and — perhaps the most common warning sign — starts asking for money. This could include requests for personal funds, investments, or even loans,” he said.
During the event, CICC Executive Director Alexander Ramos called on the public to report any scams they encounter through hotline 1326.
The information campaign is supported by several private partners such as Whoscall, Converge ICT, GoTyme, Maya, BPI, and Truth360. (PNA)
