Press Release - Gatchalian warns against love scams as online dating likely to intensify this month

Senator Win Gatchalian warned against the proliferation of love scams as people are likely to seek or try online dating amid love month celebrations.

"Individuals interested in online dating should watch out for unscrupulous individuals who are out to take advantage of them through romance or love scams," Gatchalian said.

Amid the expected expansion of digital transactions, Gatchalian has once again advocated for his Senate Bill 2407, known as the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act. This bill aims to safeguard the country's financial system and ensure that financial accounts and their owners are protected and are not lured by cybercriminals into committing illegal activities.

In the context of internet love scams, the scammer usually creates an attractive but fake profile account on social media to draw the interest of potential victims. The relationship between the scammer and the potential victim usually develops at a fast pace. As the scammer earns the trust and confidence of the victim, the former would then ask for a significant amount of money. Once the money is transmitted, the victim is usually ghosted by the scammer for good.

Gatchalian emphasized that scammers often prey on both men and women, those who are struggling in relationships, or those who are emotionally vulnerable including older people. Scammers usually zero in on those who are looking for romantic partners usually via dating apps or social media. Also, the love scam is one of those commonly employed by criminal syndicates such as those fronting as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), alongside investment scams and cryptocurrency scams.

"Huwag tayong basta nagpapabihag sa iba't ibang uri ng love scam. Kailangan nating maging mapanuri sa ating mga transaksyon lalo na kung may kinalaman ito sa pinagpaguran nating pera," he emphasized.

Gatchalian has also filed a bill seeking to penalize individuals who willingly allow themselves to be used as money mules, those who engage in social engineering schemes, and other fraudulent financial schemes including love scams.

Expressing hope for the swift enactment of his proposed measures, Gatchalian emphasized that there is a need to further