BUREAU of Customs- Davao (BOC-Davao) warns the public of a “Love Scam” that has victimized numerous persons already.
A “Love Scam” is an online fraud that targets mainly women on social media or dating sites.
Atty. Erastus Sandino Austria, BOC-Davao District Collector, said during the Kapehan in NCCC Victoria Plaza, Davao City on August 5, 2022, that once the scammers will gain the trust of the victims, they will tell the victims that they will be sending them gifts. The victims will then be told that the gift that was sent to them has been put on hold at the BOC.
“Naay laing mo-contact, magpaila nga taga Bureau of Customs unya ingnan mo nga kinahanglan mo-deposit og certain amount nga pambayad sa duties and taxes sa mga payment facilities (Someone will reach out to the victim and claim to be from BOC. Then, they ask you to deposit a certain amount for duties and taxes),” Austria said.
Austria said the BOC does not call recipients and instruct them to deposit a certain amount.
“Ayaw gyud mo og kahadlok kung hagiton mo nga kinahanglan gyud ninyo bayran kay magkaproblema mo [kuno] sa BOC (Do not be afraid someone calls you and tells you to pay for a supposed gift that has been put on hold),” Austria said.
He said this kind of scam is rampant during the Christmas season and they are coordinating with other agencies to prevent others from getting victimized by the “Love Scam.”
“This is a problem nationwide. It has been happening for a long time. It could be higher [reported cases], they no longer come to us and lower pa gyud ang ga-adto sa among office to file a formal complaint (only a few have filed a formal complaint),” Austria said. KSD