CCPO exec reminds public against ‘love scam’
Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City police are warning the public against a new extortion scheme called the ‘love scam’, especially since most people nowadays spend their time on social media and thus become more vulnerable.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said this after Police General Guillermo Eleazar on Monday cautioned the public on the ‘love scam’ following the arrest of at least two Nigerians who were allegedly involved in this kind of activity last October 31 in Cavite.
These Nigerians, who allegedly pretended to be Australians, reportedly tried to extort $8,000 from a businesswoman.
READ: 2 Nigerians in online ‘love scam’ nabbed
Although no one has come forward to report having been victimized by a love scam in Cebu City, Parilla said they continue to conduct massive information drives against this extortion scheme.
“[Usa ni] pangingilad sa atoang mga kababay-an, sa mga foreigner, nga magpaila nga they are looking for someone to be their wife and they will ask for qualifications, they will ask for nude photos. Kining atoang mga babaye, mupasa og mga photos, that’s the time nga ilahang i-blackmail na they will post it in social media if dili sila muhatag og money, mga ingun ana ang nahitabo,” Parilla said.
([This is] a scam victimizing women wherein foreigners pose as someone who is looking for a wife. They will then ask for the would-be victims for qualifications, they will ask for nude photos. When a woman sends photos, that’s the time that they will blackmail her by threatening to upload her nude photos on the internet if she will not give them money.)
Parilla said that this extortion scheme is already included in their information dissemination under their crime prevention campaign. If someone has experienced a similar incident, Parilla urged the victim to see them.
Parilla said that this scheme leaves a negative impact on the victim since her sense of privacy has been exploited. He added that this scam falls under extortion which is a crime. /rcg
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