The Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) is warning the public against unscrupulous individuals who have duped people into paying customs duties supposedly for packages sent to them.
MCIAA General Manager Nigel Paul Villarete revealed that his office has received several complaints from victims who are mostly from Manila.
He received e-mails asking why their packages were not released despite paying customs duties through an account given by the courier.
Villarente said they might be victims of a scam.
“They should have verified first if it was really the custom’s account. They can ask from our website first before depositing money to the accounts,” Villarete explained.
He said that the links the victims supplied were created by swindlers.
Most of the victims were women from Luzon who were befriended by foreigners and were promised marriage. The foreigner would tell them that a package had been sent to them coursed through the Mactan International Airport.
The swindlers used the airport in Cebu so that their would-be victims will be forced to pay through money transfers as it would be cheaper than coming to Cebu to personally claim the supposed package.
Another modus operandi had the foreigner telling his bride-to-be from Manila that he is at the Mactan Airport and has to fly to Manila but was held by the airline company as he is short of funds.
The girl then sent P9,000 through the account number given by the swindler.