‘Elon Musk’ scams elderly Pinay

MANILA, Philippines — An octogenarian Filipina who sent P9 million to her supposed boyfriend “Elon Musk” is one of almost 700 Filipinos victimized in love scams, according to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

“From January to September, we are receiving more than 70 complaints every month,” Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said at yesterday’s Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.

Citing a recent incident, Nepomuceno recalled seeing deposit slips totaling P9 million that an 80-year-old woman sent to a “boyfriend” who used a tech billionaire’s name.

“The boyfriends are not artificial intelligence. They are real people that they could talk to and they are really handsome,” Nepomuceno said.          

In some cases, scammers abroad would send victims small trinkets worth P1,000 and eventually ask for $1,000 for duties and taxes, claiming to have sent expensive jewelry, Nepomuceno said.

Customs agents would intercept the items since duties and taxes need to be paid before release.

Some of the victims would blame the BOC and demand a refund, saying they sent money to the agency.

Recovering the money would be difficult since the scammers are overseas, Nepomuceno said.

“If your ‘boyfriend’ or ‘girlfriend’ is asking for money (and you only met the person recently), you should begin to think carefully,” he said. “I think that person does not love you.”