06 November 2015 – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) warns Filipinos here and abroad to be vigilant in transacting online, as well as entertaining text messages, especially if the transaction will require depositing money in an unverified bank account in exchange for a huge amount.

The DFA has been receiving information from various sources, some of whom were victimized by the scammers. According to the accounts relayed to the DFA, the scam apparently targets girlfriends/fiancés of foreign soldiers deployed in an international peacekeeping force. The modus operandi would involve the foreign soldier claiming to have been awarded millions of dollars. He would send a message to his Filipina girlfriend or fiancé informing her of his intention to remit the money to her, on the condition that she first send an initial amount to a bank account specified in the message, purportedly for ‘administrative or tax purposes.’ The said Filipina would then end up being defrauded of thousands of dollars.

We advise the public to exercise caution in handling online transactions that involve money transfers to unverified bank accounts. END