DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio warned the public not to fall victim to fraudsters using her name soliciting cash aid for typhoon victims.
"This is to warn the public about an account on Facebook that impersonates me — soliciting cash assistance for the victims of Typhoon Rolly and the flood brought by Typhoon Ulysses to Cagayan Valley," Duterte-Carpio said in an issued statement on Sunday, November 15.
The city mayor said she does not have a Facebook account and the person behind the Sara Duterte-Carpio account is using her name to lure unsuspecting victims.
She also said she does not have a mobile payment and remittance service account under the name of Meddelyn Duterte.
"If she’s a real person, she is clearly a scammer," Duterte-Carpio said.
The mayor advised those who want to help people affected by calamities and disasters to directly send their assistance to the victims, to the affected local government units or credible and trusted aid agencies and organizations.
The mayor asked the public and Facebook to report and take down fake accounts using her name.
"I am also asking the public to report these fake accounts and urge Facebook to take them down as I call on law enforcement agencies to go after the people behind these nefarious activities," she said.
Duterte-Carpio's Facebook account is no longer visible since 2018.
The mayor said she is no longer active on Facebook and is mostly active on Instagram.
It can be recalled that Duterte-Carpio has been using the photo-sharing app after her Facebook account was locked due to multiple hacking attempts in early 2019.
Since May 30, her Instagram feed is already empty. The mayor has not issued any statement on the matter.
The City Government recently allocated financial assistance to areas affected by Typhoons Quinta and Rolly. There is no word yet if the city would also be extending financial aid to areas affected by Typhoon Ulysses.