A FARMER from Barangay Ga-as in the western town of Balamban, Cebu has sought police assistance after she fell for a scam on social media.
The 42-year-old Rosana (not her real name), a mother of three, said she was watching TV host Willie Revillame’s program on her smartphone last October 25, 2022.
According to her, Revillame asked viewers to write their full names and cellphone numbers in the comment section so they could be included in the raffle draw.
She complied and after a few moments later, she received a call from a man who introduced himself as Revillame.
Rosana said the man on the other line, who sounded like the TV host, told her she had won P50,000. However, their conversation was cut off by someone who introduced himself as Revillame’s staff and told her that she had won another P50,000.
Rosana said he told her that if she wanted to collect her winnings, she had to send P2,750 as processing fee through GCash.
She immediately went to a neighbor who had the micropayment service and sent the amount.
On October 28, Rosana said she was asked to send P4,5000 as lifetime insurance fee. On November 3, she was asked to shell out P5,350 as payment for “house COA” and P3,400 as payment for receiving clearance. On November 28, she was again asked to cough up P4,600 as payment for the litigation form for the law firm that would process her winnings.
Rosana said she asked Revillame’s “staff” why she had to give more than P20,000 when she was the winner, but he told her it was company policy.
“Akong giingnan nga ‘kung tulong yan sa mahirap, bakit lalo pa kaming napahirapan nyan kasi wala nga kaming pera tapos may pahulogan pa pala?’ Ingon siya, ‘Hindi, ma’m. Para din sa inyo ito, laking tulong na ito sa inyo,’” she said.
(I told him that if the show wants to help the poor, why burden us with these payments when we don’t have money in the first place? He said it is for me, that it will be of great help to me.)
Rosana said not only was she forced to use what little money she had saved but she also had to borrow from friends and neighbors.
She said her husband works as a caretaker at a tourist destination in Cebu City, while she is a farmer who accepts laundry on the side.
She told police she never breathed a word about winning at the Revillame show because she didn’t want to be robbed, all the while she had already been victimized.
Rosana also called on Revillame to help her get her money back, saying part of that was for her children’s schooling.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Regional Field Unit in Central Visayas said it will look into Rosana’s case. It also urged the public not to immediately believe what is said on social media. (AYB, PJB)