THIS LOVE MONTH Public told to be wary of online 'romance scams'

Elderly individuals such as widows and widowers were identified as the most “vulnerable” to falling victim to romance scams that often lead to financial solicitation, authorities said, as they heightened awareness against this scheme during Love Month.

- - Nicholas Jon Malaga and Meg Nathalie Valeros, UP Cebu Intern (IHM)

This, as officials said February, widely celebrated as the month of love, has also become a period for romance-related scams.

This was among the topics discussed by the National Bureau of Investigation 7 (NBI-7) and the Cebu Provincial Cyber Response Team (CPRT) during the Kapehan sa PIA held yesterday, where the prevalence of love scams and online fraud was taken into discussion.

The forum was attended by NBI-7 Agent III Maria Contessa Lastimoso, NBI-7 Supervising Agent Francis V. Señora, and Cebu Provincial Cyber Response Team (CPRT) Team Leader Police Lieutenant Joshua Cruz.

According to Lastimoso, a love scam is also referred to as a romance scam, in which scammers operate in three steps, creating fake online identities, building an intimate relationship, and soliciting money.