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.
no related articles
Would you like to use this article in your e-zine, blog or website? You may do so as long as you acknowledge OFWGuide.com as the source. Please inform us beforehand of your intention to republish the articles and provide the url address where the article will appear by dropping us a line at editor@ofwguide.com
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
ang side ko naman 3times na ako nakakatanggap ng message na nanalo ako ng pera na galing sa isang Atty. Ruel V. Puno, Atty. Vic C. Fajardo at DIR Ana Chua. lahat sila ang sabi Auditor daw sila ng Pangulong Arroyo at cell # ko ay nanalo ng second price. - Jhojit
samin din laging may nagtetxt ng ganyan,akala namin kamaganak lang namin..now i know,talaga palang ngyayari..tumawag pa nga samin minsan eh..tsk2..e2 pa nga yung # na gamit nia 09306036891.. - Yhang
it also happened to me last week... that scammer pretended to be my friend from Dubai. He texted me " Musta na kayo dyan? this is my new roaming #. sensya na medjo bc sa work kaya now lang ako nakapgtxt. may papadala pala ako package dyan. ingat lagi! Godbless!" then followed by another msg stating " May alam ako business na malaki ang tubo, buy kayo smart prepaid card worth 500 then padala mo sakin para ibenta ko ng 2500 dito. ipapadala ko agad sayo ang nabenta ko. madaming kukuha dito, Guyz WAG NA WAG KAYO MANINIWALA sa mga asshole na scammers na yan! THEIR SOUL WILL BURN IN HELL! mamamatay din sila...... beware of this # 09398402052 .... lets be careful ok! - AJ
Bagong number ng Atty Roldan G. Cruz na scammer just like what Peanutz Pogi posted a while back - 09293907614.. Ingat mga kabayan, daming loko-loko ngayon. Para makasigurado kayo, gamitin nyo yung search function ng web browser nyo (i.e., type-in sa search bar "Atty Roldan G. Cruz+09293907614", without the quotes). Lalabas mga links sa web king sino 'yang taong 'yan (usually either may friendster, linkedin, facebook, etc.. ang mga 'yan. Or kung wala naman or very common yung name, 'wag basta-basta magtiwala sa text or e-mail. Ipagbigay alam natin sa NTC yung mga cel #'s na 'yan para magawan nila ng aksyon (kung meron man). - TorchBearer
dapat talaga mgkaroon n ng systema ang pilipinas, magakrron n ng id system ang lahat ng bibili ng simcard naka-register gaya d2 s middle east ndi man mawala ung scammer atleast mabawasan dba. Ingat n lng po mga kababayan... - Jmm
i was a victim of this scam...and i really thought it was my sister cz that person even mentioned that he or she was my sister's name....so i really thought it was her...5 thousand worth of prepaid cards were lost on me....it just happened 2 wks ago...i had a chat with my sister and she told that it wasnt her....i'm still devastated and furious .... - Marian Siete
here is also another scammers roaming number +639066841983 asking for a pre paid card be careful... - Khristine
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