The advent of roaming sim cards is truly beneficial to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are always looking for cheaper ways on how to maintain their communication with their loved ones in the Philippines. However it’s a sad fact that swindlers have also learned how to use this new product to victimize unsuspecting individuals.
The swindlers are able to get money from victims by sending a text message to a person and pretending to be the loved one, friend or relative of them that is currently working or staying overseas.
Have you ever received a text message from an unknown number but contains a casual greeting, followed with the information that it is their new roaming number and a reminder to please send future messages to them there? If you happen to do have a loved one abroad, it is easy to assume that the person who sent the message is really the person you have in mind. Oftentimes, the text message would contain terms of endearment targeting the wife or husband of an OFW.
A typical text message looks like this:
Hi love. Magpapadala n ako ng pera jan. Text nyo aq pag nakuha nyo na. Ito na nga pla ang bago kong roaming number, d2 n ku txt. Wl lang aq load kya d aq maktwg dyan. Tnx
It can be that they send their text messages to several cellphone numbers randomly hoping that someone would reply. This is not so hard considering the number of Filipinos working abroad.
When you do reply, the sender would then inform you about a new business which can let you earn big money fast. While still pretending to be your loved one, the swindler will ask you to buy prepaid cards worth Php 500 or Php1000 each. They would explain that it is a booming business among Filipinos abroad because you can sell it at a much higher price (e.g.: a Php500 card can be sold for 1500). Apparently all you need to do is purchase the cards and then send the pin numbers to them so they can immediately sell it.
As you go on replying, the swindler will urged you to buy prepaid cards as soon as you can because they already have orders–sometimes ten to 12 pieces at once. The poor victims who all the while think they are talking to their wife, husband or sister abroad would follow the instructions given to them and buy the cards. However, once they send the pin numbers of the call and text cards, they will receive no further reply from the swindler. When they try to call the roaming numbers- they will receive this message: The number you dial is incorrect.
Some text messages would ask for a prepaid load right away. Here is an example:
Muzta n kau dyan sa pinas, miz n miz ko n kyo, e2 nga pla bgo k roaming, nga pla my pa2dla me dyan package mga gmit e2, ingat nlng kau palagi, miz u ol, god bles, nga pala paload muna ng 300 pnta2wg lang aq ng agency q ngkaproblma daw un pastfort q.importnti lng, d2 s # n2. 300 tnx,"
Other version of this scam includes the use of chat portals such as yahoo messenger.Swindlers would hack the email addresses of OFWs and then used it to chat to their loved ones in the Philippines. Victims would think that they are communicating with a person they know because sometimes the scammer would show a webcam with a snapshot of the person. To avoid this, the OFWs and their relatives should be careful in using public computers. Their email accounts can be hacked when they fail to sign out upon leaving.
To avoid being a victim of this scam, take note of the following reminders:
Be suspicious when you receive a text message from an unregistered number. It is best not to reply right away because if it is really important, the person will send the message again.
To be sure that you are talking to your loved one, ask the sender to identify himself. In doing so, be careful not to give any information about you that will give the swindler a clue.
Ask more personal information about the person you are talking to.
Be wary of any person who requires (even pressure) you to shell out huge amounts of money fast. Anyone who offers a venture that involves earning easy money fast is a warning signal.
Spread the news that this type of modus operandi exist to your friend and loved ones so no more individual will be victimized by this scam.
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Beware of SCAMMERS!!! Whether you are a new user of sms or new to texting, there is only one rule in this world: You can text to anyone as long as you want and as often as you want but when they mentioned about money, whatever the reason is, business or personal - do not give in to them. Even if you think that they are members of your family, you have to think a hundred times and most especially, call them and talk to them on the phone to verify that it is indeed your family members that you are dealing with. Even so, for the amount of over P500.00 - no matter what they say that you will earn 10 times the normal business procedure - you have to think that, that is 'TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE" and that you are "in for a trouble". Whether it is via "INTERNET OR SMS' - NEVER EVER EVER GIVE MONEY, NOT EVEN A CENT" RULE!!!! - Sharon
My family back home was a victim of this scam. Unfortunately they lost an incredible 120K pesos to this scammer.
How do we get help on this? Should we report this to Smart or Globe or NTC? Any advise from anyone who had same experience? - Noel
Yup, I got a text message like that too. I almost fell for that, but went suspicious after they asked for load. Tinesting ko sila, I asked them, "Kamusta na jan pamangkin ko?", to which they replied "Mataba na sya". My niece is with us here in the Philippines. - Roth @ Franchise Philippines
mag ingat po kayo sa pagpapadala ng remittance papunta sa pilipinas thru cebuanna lhuillier pera padala may modus operandi po ang mga employees nila, may mag tetext sa mga pinadalan nyo ng pera sa pinas at magpapanggap na kayo sila, sasabihin na yun ang bago ninyong roaming number, tapos ay ibibigay ang inyong transaction record... remittance number, amount ng pinadala nyo at password, tapos kakamustahin kung nakuha na nila un padala nyo, pag sumagot ang pinadalan nyo thru text, dun na sila hihingi ng pasa load amounting to 500 to 3000 pra ipaload sa roaming sim nila, sa sender naman, may matatanggap na text at mag papanggap na sila ang kamaganak nyo na pinadalan, sasabihin yun ang bagong number nila, mangagamusta at tapos ay hihingi ng pera thru gcash.
mag ingat po sa inyong mga transactions thru cebuanna lhuiller, hindi ko po sinisiraan ang kanilang kumpanya, hindi rin naman nila kasalanan na may mga ganung klase ng empleyado sila, ang sinasabi ko lamang ay magingat sa mga ganitong scam, sabihan nyo din ang inyong mga kamag anak sa pinas, or pra mas safe, sa banko nyo na lang ipadala ang mga remittance nyo, may 100 pesos nga lang na charge ang banko pero makakasiguro kayo na hindi malalaman ng ibang tao ang mga transaction records nyo at mas ligtas pa na makukuha ng mga kamag anak nyo ang pinagpaguran ninyo. salamat po at mabuhay ang mga manggagawang pilipino sa buong mundo! - Naruto
+639157463287 is also texting me.. Whenever I ask who he/she is no answer at all.. Here's the text "E2 bago raoming # q d2 na kau txt, kumuzta na kau jn?, my package ak0ng pinadala sa inyo kahap0n. 2wks cguro bago dumatng jn., sana ok lahat kau jn..."
Eh hndi nman mahilig mag text mga kamag-anak ko sa abroad noh.. puro call lang.. - Rhea
nakatanggap dn ako ng ganyan... ginawa tinawagan ko yung no. tapos ngring... ngpaalaman ko na modus ng mga manloloko kasi pgnakaroaming yung smart no. hindi mo matatawagan... isa pa hindi ka pwede mgload ng roaming no. thru cards,e-load lng... - Cylcone
09163573017 is a scammer, beware, kamag-anak ko daw siya e wala akong kamag-anak sa aboard na alam company line ko AT TAKE NOTE! they sent me the text message a few minutes na ibinigay sa akin yung line! It means wala pa akong pinagbibigyan ng number kahit yung mga staff ko! - Gina
Got those fraud messages many times already and even until now from different mobile numbers, though i have lots of friends/relatives abroad I'm still very much aware of these scams, what i did every time i got this kind of message is minumura ko lng nman cla, to let them know na d nla ako maloloko khit singko'ng duleng, in this world wlang manloloko kng wlang magpaloko, common sense lng yn, wag mataranta komo may package n darating! Be vigilant & report it immediately! - Joy C
I was a victim what a coincidence that my niece roaming was locked after 2 days i received this shit text telling me it was her new roaming yun same thing sa nabasa ko na kung gus2 ko magnegosyo maging doble ang kita pang tuition ng anak ko binili ko worth 12 thou na smart n Globe bigay ko lahat pos the following day ask ulit nagsanla ako worth 30 thousand ulit bumili ako 50 pieces globe 500 hun plus 10 pcs.smart 5 hun 2 lang naibigay ko ng nagduda ako text nya "nakabeli"ka na ba?ndganun kami mg spell kya ayun pinabenta ko sa pinagkuhaan ko ng 450 yung binili ko na tig 490 palugi basta maibalik lang ayun nabaon ako sa utang.Na trace ko sa globe center ang pinagloadan this r the nos.09153244673 10 cards ang niload d2 09167930070 09165753334 091592349351.tinatawagan ko yung isa lang sumagot tga bulacan daw xa.ayaw sabihin kanino bumili.Ipaubaya ko sa panginoon.HINDI LANG AKO HA MERON DIN ako nkasabay nagcomplain sa NTC TUGUEGARAO worth 100 thou.Thinking makaahon ako sa kahirapan lalo naman ako nabaon. - TITA
to all my co-filipino, beware of this number:+639392962980, this fraud number owned by a pretending family member, stating that: " Musta na kayo dyan ito nga pala new roaming number ko, nagpadala ako ng packages at pera, hintayin nyo lang. And I'm asking to the authorities to do something with this kind of "panggagantso or panloloko", kawawa naman ang mga kababayan natin na naloloko. Kung kailangan ng entrapment sanay gawin na...para mahuli na ang mga taong ito. - Rhea
Beware of SCAMMERS!!! Whether you are a new user of sms or new to texting, there is only one rule in this world: You can text to anyone as long as you want and as often as you want but when they mentioned about money, whatever the reason is, business or personal - do not give in to them. Even if you think that they are members of your family, you have to think a hundred times and most especially, call them and talk to them on the phone to verify that it is indeed your family members that you are dealing with. Even so, for the amount of over P500.00 - no matter what they say that you will earn 10 times the normal business procedure - you have to think that, that is 'TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE" and that you are "in for a trouble". Whether it is via "INTERNET OR SMS' - NEVER EVER EVER GIVE MONEY, NOT EVEN A CENT" RULE!!!! - Sharon