Scam and fraud cases are made easier by emerging technologies such as mobile apps and wearable technology, which give criminals additional methods to reach their victims. People are already used to hearing on the news every day about online dating scam victims, or people who had their money stolen when purchasing online. A lot of the scams originate in the Philippines, but why is this country such a hotbed of cybercrime?

There are various variables that allow online scamming to proliferate as it does in some regions, making scammers more difficult to catch. It’s no secret that the Philippines is one of these places, and here are a few reasons why private investigators in the Philippines believe the problem gets worse every day.

Distance favors fraudsters.

For Filipino scammers, the distance between them and their victims makes the whole deal look unreal, like a game. Thousands of women in the Philippines pretend to have a long-distance relationship with an American or British man that they have never met in person, or maybe they do meet once a year for a very short period.  There is no proximity with the victims, not even when they have talked for hours on the chat or on the phone about their personal lives and their most intimate secrets. Online romance scammers keep their regular lives and dedicate a small amount of time in their days to get in front of the screen. Nobody feels sorry for the person who was hurt thousands of miles away. Once they get their money, the game is over.

Authorities have a hard time keeping the pace with online fraudsters

It doesn’t happen exclusively in the Philippines, but it still happens. Online scams are hard to detect, hard to keep a track of them, and it’s hard to find evidence that can be held in a court. The resources to hide the traces just continue to grow, leaving authorities behind and with little chance to stop the criminals.

Filipinos have good access to technology

Productivity, more profits, and less effort are all benefits of technology. New technology make it easy for everyone, including Philippines scammers, to keep up with work in a more effective manner. Because Manila is a contemporary city where residents have access to cutting-edge technology, it’s easy to imagine a scammer sitting in a café and letting her phone do the work.

What can you do to stop online fraud from affecting you?

Because authorities and regulations do not operate in the same way in every country, international crime thrives. Until we get a global consensus on foreign crime (which is unlikely to happen), prevention is your best bet.

Be cautious and  hire a private detective to conduct a background check or surveillance in the Philippines when having any suspicion. Even a tiny mistake online can cost you a lot, so keep your eyes open and verify!

C. Wright

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