Philippine News Agency
Gatchalian calls for intensified campaign vs. love scams
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged local government units and law enforcement agencies to strengthen measures against love scams targeting both locals and foreigners.
The Australian Federal Police reported that Philippine-based scammers have defrauded Australians of approximately AUD 24 million through online dating apps.
Gatchalian expressed shame over Filipinos victimizing foreigners and highlighted the negative impact on the country's image and potential employment for Overseas Filipino Workers.
He suggested that law enforcement agencies like the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation should collaborate with international counterparts to address these activities.
Gatchalian also noted that Filipinos might be victims but are hesitant to report due to societal judgment.
He believes scammers exploit vulnerabilities in individuals seeking companionship or lacking online safety awareness.
The senator advocates for filing criminal charges against love scam perpetrators to prevent future incidents.
Topics in this story
Explore more stories about these topics.
🤖
This story was generated by AI to help you understand the key points. For more detailed coverage, please see the news articles from trusted media outlets below.
News Sources
See how different news organizations are covering this story. Below are the original articles from various Philippine news sources that contributed to this summary.
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has issued a warning to the public about the prevalence of online love scams, especially during the Valentine's season.
Read more →
The Presidential Anti Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Australian Federal Police (AFP) revealed that approximately 5,000 Australian nationals have been victims of a love scam syndicate based in the Philippines, with an estimated loss of AUS $24 million.
Read more →