Scammers use AI-generated conversations, fake profile pictures of women to lure victims into fraudulent crypto schemes
Around 100 suspects were put behind bars by police after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) conducted a raid on a condominium building in Makati that is believed to have been turned into a "love scam" facility.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago, who led the raid, said that the scammers were using artificial intelligence (AI) tools for their online love scams. Specifically, they were using the system to generate conversations and fake profile pictures of attractive women to trick victims into investing in phony cryptocurrency schemes.
"With Valentine’s Day approaching, I urge both men and women to be cautious when using dating apps," Santiago warned.
Police discovered that two floors of the condominium were being used for the scheme and that a Chinese national was the one serving as the supervisor for the Filipino employees.
The NBI will continue to interrogate the Chinese national regarding the scam hub's operations.
Romance scams are a pressing issue in the Philippines, with the recent victim being Singaporean veteran actor Laurence Pang.
Speaking to broadcaster-turned-senator Raffy Tulfo on his program Raffy Tulfo In Action, Pang said that he lost S$35,000 (P1.4 million) after he was tricked by a woman with the name "Mika" who he met on a dating site called PinaLove in late 2024.
The scammer pushed for him to invest in a fake online business in the Philippines, assuring him that he would get a 10% commission as a reseller in every product that the website could sell. Pang agreed to it as he admitted that he was captivated by Mika during their conversations together.
However, it turned out that the site was being manipulated so that Pang could not take back his commission. When he tried to contact Mika through a video call to take a screenshot of her face, he discovered that the photos she was using on the dating site had been heavily edited and enhanced by artificial intelligence.
The show later reached out to Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group spokeswoman PLT Wallen Mae Arancillo, who confirmed that Pang was indeed a victim of a love scam.
"Please be vigilant in your online transactions. Please take note that these people that you're speaking with online are just using dummy accounts to entice you, to lure you, and later on get your sympathy and encourage you to invest, and without your knowledge, they are just getting money from you," Arancillo warned viewers.
"Please be aware of your actions online and always be mindful of all the people that you are talking with," she advised.
Based on data gathered by the Department of Justice, there have been more than 100 Filipinos who fell victim to love scams. (with reports from Mark Ernest Villeza)
