Filipinas and scamming have made the news again, and not exactly in the way you might think. The local newspaper Inquirer reported that the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, had cited three cases involving Filipinas who were duped by supposed lovers they met through chat rooms and social networks. Whether this is true or not, it is definitely new and something unusual!

For a long time, the Philippines has been within the top internet searches, not for it´s beautiful beaches or it´s culture, but for Filipinas online dating scams. Experienced online dating users know now that Filipinas have been the perpetrators so far. However, it now seems that things might be turning the other way around.  The Inquirer publication mentions three cases only of Filipinas being victims, which is nothing compared to the thousands of people you can find online who have been victims to a Filipina scammer.  Has the table really turned?  Romance scamming is a global issue, and no one is immune. Not even those who feel they´re too smart or too experienced to be fooled.

Nonetheless, trying to rate who scams the most is a tough task and it will not help any of the victims –or soon to be victims- recover or prevent future problems. The important thing here to  is to acknowledge that Internet dating scams are a huge problem nowadays and that it can happen to anyone, regardless of nationality, place of residence, ages, genders or sexual preferences.

A high risk country for scams

Philippines private detectives are now reporting interesting findings. This is a new phenomenon amongst marriage scam victims and infidelity victims in the Philippines. According to recent cases, some people are attempting the old remedy of “giving the scammers a taste of their own medicine”. Although some see it as simple karma, the truth is attempting this is a dangerous practice.

Why changing from victim to perpetrator is a bad idea

Revenge is probably not the smartest tactic. It will only help the cycle of internet scamming continue. Protecting yourself by running background checks on future Philippines online dates and reporting what happened to the authorities sounds more like it. You will find that being cautious and sharing information will bring great benefits to you and other people.

A scammer is a scammer. They pretty much know how things work and they won´t fall victim to a lie easily. These people are expert liars! Attempting a capture when they go pick up a Western Union transaction and lead them to the police will probably not be a fruitful venture.

Don´t even try to request money, even if it is to recover your losses. Scammers grasp tightly to whatever money gets in their pockets and they won´t let it go easily. Plus, remember usually these kind of scammers operate inside criminal networks, which have lots of resources that help them get away with their crime. You do not have their expertise or resources.

You can get in real trouble. As mentioned before, these people have resources. When you attempt revenge you are on your own, you are entering the criminal domain with real risk.

If you have fallen victim, the best is to accept the loss, to report the scam to the Internet Crime Complaint Center and local authorities and to move on with a little more caution next time. Wait for Karma to do its job on its own. If you haven´t been a victim yet, be careful. Anyone can fall in the trap. Keep posted on new schemes and share the information with those you care about!

Prevention is the best you can do, and there are professionals at your disposal ready to help.  Be skeptical, and work with a reputable Philippines investigator if you’ve met someone.

C. Wright
© 2014 Philippine PI

© Copyright 2014 Philippine PI.  All Rights Reserved.  This content is the property of Philippine PI, LLC and is protected by United States of America and international copyright laws.