Customs bureau warns public vs ‘Internet love scams’

FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has warned the public against “Internet love scams” in which victims are befriended online and promised packages containing gifts and even money. They then receive an e-mail supposedly from the BOC asking for payment for duties and taxes. After remitting the money to a bank, however, the package never arrives and their “significant other” never contacts them again.

At least 44 love scam cases, with victims coming mostly from Metro Manila, have been reported to the BOC office in Port Area, Manila, according to an advisory issued recently.

According to the bureau, “most of the victims are women while most of the e-mail senders supposedly come from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.”

It also reported that the number of victims did not include those residing in the provinces.

“The perpetrators usually get in touch with their prospective victims online via chat or dating websites. After constantly communicating online for several weeks or even months, the suspects would send messages to their victims through e-mail, promising to send gifts—including luxury bags, jewelry, laptop computers and other electronic gadgets—via international door-to-door parcels,” said the BOC.

It added that the victims “would then be sent a tracking number and invoice for the purported shipment.”

“After a few days, the victims would receive an e-mail allegedly coming from the Bureau of Customs informing them that the package would be sent to them after the payment of BOC duties and taxes to be deposited in a designated bank account or money transfer service. The breakdown of customs fees would also be e-mailed,” the BOC said.

However, “even after remitting or depositing the money, the victims never got their packages.”

Last Thursday, Customs personnel arrested a suspected member of an Internet love scam in Mabalacat, Pampanga.

The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Herminia Castillo, was apprehended after she was caught claiming the money remitted by one of the victims.

According to the BOC’s Public Information and Assistance Division, “the entrapment operation was conducted by the bureau in coordination with the Armed Forces and the command’s Intelligence Service.”

“The operation was carried out after the victim, a certain Arneth Calma, filed a complaint before the Customs Intelligence Group. Calma said that she had been corresponding with a male foreigner through e-mail for several months before the latter said he would send her a package containing gifts. The victim later received an e-mail purportedly from the BOC informing her that her package was held for nonpayment of duties and taxes amounting to P35,000. The e-mail instructed her to send payment to Castillo, who pretended to be a Customs employee, through money transfer.”

However, “after paying the amount, Calma received a second e-mail claiming that she needed to pay an additional P20,000 because a BOC examination had revealed there were high-value goods concealed inside her package. This prompted Calma to seek help from the BOC’s Intelligence Group.”

Castillo, who has been turned over to the Philippine National Police, faces swindling and estafa charges.

“Follow-up operations against other Internet love scam perpetrators are ongoing,” the BOC said.

Customs Commissioner John Phillip Sevilla, meanwhile, urged the public to beware of these syndicates. “[We are not certain…] how many people are involved in these scams but we will not let our guard down, especially as they are using the name of the bureau.”

Before making any payment, the agency advised recipients of e-mails supposedly sent by the BOC to “inquire first through our public assistance channels (landline: 02-917-3201 and e-mail: [email protected]).”

Customs duties and taxes are paid to the BOC only and not through any bank, it added.