ONLINE ROMANCE: 70-YEAR-OLD TRADER LOSES NEARLY P1-M TO  FEMALE SCAMMER

A 70-YEAR-OLD meat vendor in Tarlac City lost nearly P1-million to a woman he met on Facebook.

Agents of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group on Tuesday arrested suspect,  alias “Tita.”

The suspect used the identity of her teenage niece to have an “online romance” with the victim.

Members of the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit 3 (RACU3) arrested alias “Tita” on the strength of a warrant of arrest for violation of Section 4(b)(3) or the Computer-related Identity Theft under Republic Act 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 issued by a Tarlac City Regional Trial Court.

Investigation showed the accused created a Facebook account last year using her niece’s name and began messaging the victim.

The victim and the suspect later developed an online romance, with the elderly meat vendor not realizing he was chatting with a con artist.

During the period, the suspect persuaded the victim to send her money and gifts, which the complainant said totaled nearly P1 million.

The RACU 3 said that when questioned, the suspect’s niece revealed that she was only 17-years-old when her aunt started the scam.

According to the teenager,  she discovered that on her 18th birthday, the suspect requested more money and gifts from the victims supposedly for their celebration.

The teener said she later suspected that something was wrong when she received information that her aunt had been receiving money and gifts from the victim.

The niece discovered the gifts inside her aunt’s house when she paid her a surprise visit.

This prompted the teenager to contact the complainant and join him in filing a formal complaint before the RACU 3.

Meanwhile, authorities highlighted anew the importance of caution in online dating, especially given the rise of romance scams.       

The PNP-ACG said not everything we see on social media is genuine.