Couple loses P.2 M in FB scam

MANILA, Philippines - A couple had been duped into shelling out more than P200,000 by someone who hacked into a relative’s Facebook account, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) reported yesterday.

Senior Police Officer 4 Alan dela Cruz said McRyan Jay Cortez and his wife, Madelene, told police Monday they received a message on Facebook from the account of Madelene’s aunt, Merly Santos, telling them about working in Canada.

“Apparently, the account of the aunt had been hacked and the couple actually thought it was she (aunt) who sent the message,” Dela Cruz said in an interview.

They deposited money in a bank account in Mildred Geron’s name and wired P130,000 to Melissa Mallari to cover their application and visa, he said.

Geron supposedly told the couple to meet her at the Canadian embassy. The couple said they were at the embassy on the date and time specified by Geron, but she never showed up.