Customs warns public: Beware of love scams

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs warned the public, amid the proliferation of love scams, in which victims are deceived into paying money to supposedly release a parcel or gift allegedly being held by the BOC.

The BOC added that under the scheme, scammers use the agency’s name to lend legitimacy to their fraud and convince victims that certain fees must be paid before a package can be released.

It said the modus begins with an introduction made via social media, messaging apps or online dating platforms.

According to the BOC, once the scammer gains the victim’s trust, he would claim to have sent a gift, such as jewelry, gadgets, money or other high-value items from abroad.

“In some instances, they even send a small, legitimate parcel initially to further secure the victim’s trust. Eventually, the victim receives a call, text or message from someone posing as a Customs officer or BOC employee. They claim that the package is being held by Customs and that customs duties, taxes, processing fees or other charges must be paid before it can be released,” the BOC said.

It added that scammers use fake invoices, shipping documents, tracking records and even counterfeit tracking websites.

“In some instances, they send edited photos of the package or of expensive gifts to convince the victim that the parcel is real. In reported cases, victims are asked to send payments via personal bank accounts, e-wallets or money remittance services. Some are even made to pay repeatedly for various alleged charges before the package can be released,” the BOC said.

The BOC said no employee or official of theirs is authorized to demand or accept payments through personal bank accounts, e-wallets or money remittance services.

“These scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, exploiting the trust and emotions of their victims. If someone you met online claims to have sent a gift but a payment is required to release it from Customs, exercise caution and verify the information first through the bureau’s official channels,” BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said.

The BOC urged the public to be vigilant when interacting with people online and to immediately report any suspicious calls, messages or emails that use the name of the BOC to solicit money.