A 24-YEAR-OLD woman from Lapu-Lapu City believed a Facebook investment was real, but it was all a scam that drained her of P76,000. She had saved the money for two years to buy an expensive cellphone.
Known as Elle, the victim sought help from radio dyHP, accompanied by her boyfriend, a Criminology student at a university in Cebu City, hoping to get her P76,000 back from the scammer.
Ruse
According to Elle, on July 10, she was messaged by a person named Patricia Balagtas, who enticed her to join an investment scheme where her money would grow by 60 percent in just a few moments.
She was tempted because she had long dreamed of buying a new, expensive cellphone. Elle shared that she had saved the money for two years while studying for her Bachelor of Science in Customs Administration at a major university.
Enticed by the small amount of money she was told to invest, she agreed. Balagtas told her to follow Shanaiah Francisco on Telegram, who would supposedly handle her “salary” once she completed the assigned tasks.
Elle filled out a document with all her details, including her GCash number, and was given an initial “salary” of P120. This made her believe the investment was legitimate. Shanaiah then explained that to earn more, she needed to participate in all “welfare events.”
For the first welfare event on July 12, Elle deposited P1,200. Within moments, she received P1,600 back on her GCash account. Shanaiah explained that the next welfare event would double her earnings from the initial 30 percent profit.
She was then added to a group chat named “MP Digital” with only five members. The other four members all announced that they had received their profits from large investments. They also sent photos of themselves shopping for expensive gadgets and clothes, which further enticed Elle.
More deposits
That evening, Elle deposited another P1,600, but she was told by their handler that the slot was full, and the only open slot was for P3,500. Elle quickly deposited the amount, but after she did, they were told the transaction would continue the next morning, July 13, because the handler was asleep.
Excited to earn a large amount, Elle eagerly opened her Messenger the next day. She was told to add P2,500 to her deposit for a bigger return. After sending the money, she was given new tasks, such as liking and following other pages and inviting friends. She was then told to deposit another P20,000, even though she hadn’t received the P6,000 profit yet.
Her handler rushed her, and without thinking, she sent the P20,000. She followed this by depositing another P20,000, believing it would earn her P50,000. However, she was then given an order for P50,000, even though she still hadn’t received any of the promised money.
At this point, she started to panic as her savings were almost gone. She decided to get a loan from a Facebook loan app. The handler told her that everyone else had already deposited their money and that she was the only one left. Elle sent the money to the GCash account.
Seeking assistance
It was only then that her boyfriend told her she had been scammed. Her suspicion was confirmed when she was asked to deposit P100,000 for another task that would supposedly return P200,000.
Elle has decided to seek help from radio dyHP and report the scam to the Cybercrime Unit 7 to have the scammers arrested. “I couldn’t think straight... whether it was a scam or not because you get rattled. They rush you, and there’s a time limit. They tell you everyone is waiting, and you’re the only one who hasn’t deposited,” Elle said.
The Regional Cybercrime Unit (Racu) 7 will investigate to stop this type of scam, as Elle is not the only victim. Racu 7 will coordinate with GCash to get all the details of the transactions and file a case.
Elle admitted she was wrong for trusting them immediately, saying that people should be cautious when money is involved and when they are asked to send cash. “You shouldn’t trust people, especially when money is involved. If you’re going to deposit, you should think about it very carefully and many times over,” Elle added.
Elle hopes the scammers will be caught and that she will get her P76,000 back. / AYB
