THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has warned against fraudulent solicitations for the victims of Typhoon Tino.
In a statement Sunday, November 9, 2025, PNP acting chief Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said he has ordered an investigation against a certain Jennifer Santos, who falsely claims to be a staff member of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in order to solicit donations for Tino victims in Cebu province.
The OCD said it does not request donations through individuals and urged the public to coordinate directly with the OCD or the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Nartatez directed the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to identify and locate Santos, who is posing as a staff member of Assistant Secretary Bernardo Rafaelito R. Alejandro IV.
He said the PNP is tracing digital communications, online accounts, and financial channels possibly linked to the scam, in coordination with the OCD and other concerned agencies.
“Upon receiving the advisory from the Office of Civil Defense, our units immediately coordinated with the agency to gather information about the suspect. We are now tracing the digital footprint and communication channels used to solicit donations,” Nartatez said.
“Kung mapatunayang may panlilinlang na naganap, mananagot sa batas ang mga sangkot. Fraud and identity theft are serious offenses lalo na kung ginagamit ang pangalan ng mga opisyal ng gobyerno at mga biktima ng kalamidad,” he added.
(If it is proven that deception occurred, those involved will be held accountable under the law. Fraud and identity theft are serious offenses, especially when the names of government officials and disaster victims are being used.)
Nartatez reminded the public to remain cautious and verify first before sending any financial or material assistance, as he assured the PNP’s continued efforts to protect the public from individuals exploiting calamity situations for personal gain and to uphold the integrity of legitimate relief and humanitarian operations.
“Una sa lahat, huwag basta-basta magpapadala ng donasyon sa mga hindi kilalang tao o account. Always verify through official government pages or hotlines kung legitimate ang solicitation,” Nartatez said.
(First of all, do not send donations to unknown people or accounts. Always verify through official government pages or hotlines if the solicitation is legitimate.)
“Ang kabutihan ng puso ng mga Pilipino ay dapat mapunta sa tamang lugar. Let’s make sure our help reaches the real victims, not scammers taking advantage of a disaster situation,” he added.
(The kindness and generosity of Filipinos should go to the right place. Let’s make sure our help reaches the real victims, not scammers taking advantage of a disaster situation.)
The PNP urged the public to report any suspicious solicitation activities to the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group or to the nearest police station as part of its continuing efforts to protect citizens from online and financial fraud. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)