‘Love scam’ Pinay victims getting younger —BoC

The Bureau of Customs (BoC) continues to receive reports of Filipinas falling victim to “love scams” in which fraudsters use the agency’s name to extort money, Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said.

Nepomuceno said the latest victims are women in their 30s and 40s, raising concerns about the growing reach of the scam.

The scheme involves cybercriminals who pose as foreign suitors on social media and dating platforms to establish romantic relationships with their targets before demanding money under the pretext of releasing packages held by the BoC.

“Imagine, we receive more than 70 reports a month. The scam happens when a Filipina is courted by a foreigner using social media platforms. It’s not a product of artificial intelligence. These are real people,” Nepomuceno said in an exclusive interview in Makati City on Monday.

He explained that scammers initially send gifts, such as flowers, to gain the victims’ trust and make their intentions appear legitimate. After a few days or weeks, they send more expensive items, including jewelry, and claim that the shipment has been held by customs.

“After a few days or weeks, the suspect will send the victim again with expensive gifts, such as jewelry. Then the sender will tell, ‘There’s a problem with the jewelry. It was held by the BoC, and you will need $1,000 for them to release the shipment. Send it to this account.’ And since the Filipina was already lured, she will send it to her supposed boyfriend. There goes the scam,” Nepomuceno said.

Victims are pressured to pay fees to supposedly resolve shipment issues. In some cases, they repeatedly send money because scammers claim the BoC continues to hold the packages.

Scammers also create a sense of urgency to prevent victims from verifying the claims. They may send fabricated images, tracking details and links to fake websites to make it appear that a package is on its way.

Nepomuceno recalled an incident involving an 80-year-old woman whose children brought her to the BoC to verify whether she was being deceived by her supposed boyfriend. The victim had transferred a total of ₱9 million to the scammer.

“When we asked the name of the boyfriend, the victim said Elon Musk. The woman even left pissed with BoC because she wouldn’t believe us that she was a victim of a scam,” he said.

Scammers may also threaten victims with lawsuits or arrest and demand payment through unauthorized channels, including money transfer services, remittance companies such as GCash, or personal bank accounts.

In an advisory, the BoC urged the public not to share personal information with people they meet online through social media or dating applications and to avoid sending money to individuals they do not personally know.

“Never send a payment to someone you do not personally know. Always ask for valid receipts, tracking numbers of packages, company names, and other documents to check with the BOC. If still in doubt, you may send us an email at boc.cares@customs.gov.ph or visit the nearest BoC office in your area,” the advisory read.