Valentine campaign: Cybercops focus on love scams

MANILA, Philippines —  With the approach of Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) yesterday launched a campaign to promote awareness and vigilance of Filipino netizens against so-called love scams.

At the launch held at the National Cybercrime Hub in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig yesterday, Department of Information and Communications Technology Undersecretary and CICC executive director Alexander Ramos explained that the #UnmatchPH campaign is an information-dissemination campaign that seeks to send constant reminders to Filipinos who are active online, especially on social media platforms, to be wary of strangers who may be out to perpetrate fraud by posing as potential love matches.

“This is an early warning for people to be careful… There are love scams abounding online,” Ramos said.

“We should be wary of strangers. We should listen to our minds, not just our hearts. We should use our brain and distinguish those who are just out to perform scams,” he added.

Love scams always have victims year in and year out, according to Ramos.

“They don’t choose their victims, whether old or young, rich or poor,” he said.

The CICC is supported by banking giant BPI, cybersecurity multinational Gogolook, fiber internet provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc., financial technology firm GoTyme and ScamwatchPH in its #UnmatchPH campaign.

“The usual victims are not just women, but those belonging to the LGBTQ (sector). Many who report come from that sector,” Ramos said.

“We have a lot of victims. We hope they come to their senses. Be mentally alert,” he added.

In a profiling of the usual “love scam” scammer profile, ScamWatchPH said that it has identified eight usual profiles – The Sad Boy, Sad Girl; The Seducer; The Investor; The Serviceman; The Escort; The Blackmailer; The Slow Burn and The Predator.

“We should be aware of the fact that the world is full of scammers,” Ramos said. “We can’t eradicate them. As our population grows, their numbers are also growing. There are many who want to go into professional scamming. It is turning into a professional field. They are making big money, so they are investing into novel schemes to trick people out of their money.”

Converge ICT vice president and head of corporate communications and public affairs Jay-Anne Encarnado assured stakeholders that they are fully supporting the campaign in view of the apparent seriousness of the problem of cyberfraud and data breach in the country.

“As technology continues to advance, online crime perpetrators are also growing in number, and their schemes are becoming more sophisticated and manipulative,” Encarnado said.

“As a leading fiber internet service provider, we recognize our responsibility to promote ways to be smart and safe on social media. While our solutions provide wider access to fast and reliable internet, we also take note that this expanded connectivity exposes more users to cybercrimes if necessary precautions are not taken,” she said.

For Encarnado, the internet has become so advanced that users can now bring their love lives to the digital realm.

“The number of dating app users is at its peak, and cyber criminals are actively waiting for opportunities to exploit the vulnerability of those seeking connection and intimacy,” she said.

“That is why we are building relationships with like-minded organizations such as the DICT-CICC, ScamwatchPH and other organizations present here today to help disseminate information, push for digital literacy and commit to continuously making efforts that will make the internet a safer space for everyone. We firmly believe that education is key,” she added.