PNP warns vs ‘middleman scam’

The Philippine National Police (PNP) issued a warning to online shoppers regarding a new scam tactic targeting unsuspecting individuals who are frequent internet users and online shoppers.

In a statement, the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) narrated that the modus — dubbed as “middleman scam” — exploits trust on social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace to defraud both buyers and sellers.

PNP-ACG director Sidney Hernia disclosed that fraudsters pose as legitimate sellers, advertising items on social media marketplaces, and when a buyer expresses interest, the scammer acts as an intermediary, requesting payment and a transaction receipt from the buyer.

However, instead of using the payment to purchase the item from the actual seller, the scammer utilizes the buyer’s receipt to acquire the product from the real seller on credit. This receipt might allow the scammer to take advantage of short-term payment options or cash-on-delivery services offered by some platforms.

Hernia cited a recent case handled by the ACG on 6 April in Sampaloc, Manila, where the suspect — identified only as “Juan” — posed as a seller of modems and convinced a buyer to purchase 10 units, requesting payment and a transaction receipt.

The suspect then used the receipt to acquire the modems from the actual seller without paying upfront and the delivery was eventually canceled when the real seller did not receive payment.

Police said that the suspect faces charges for violating Article 315 (Estafa/Swindling) of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Section 6 of RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).

Hernia urged online shoppers to exercise caution when transacting on social media platforms and stressed the importance of verifying seller profiles, including reviews and ratings, whenever available.