The Philippine Police have warned people in the country to be especially careful around Valentine's Day and not fall victim to so-called love scams, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported, as quoted by BTA.
As of February 5 this year, six such cases had been reported. According to police, 54 such scams were reported in 2025, compared to 74 in 2024.
"Scammers are taking advantage of people's loneliness, trust, and hope, especially on the Internet," said Police Chief Jose Melencio Nartates Jr. He stressed that the goal is for citizens to celebrate Valentine's Day peacefully and without falling victim to fraud.
The scheme usually begins through contact on social media. The perpetrators often pose as foreigners or Filipinos working abroad. They build an emotional connection with the victim, avoid video calls, quickly declare their love, and then ask for money, for example for travel for a supposed meeting. In other cases, they insist on personal information such as bank details, one-time access codes, or copies of personal documents.
Most often, the victims are older people, people without a partner, or emotionally vulnerable individuals.
The police urge Filipinos to never send money, intimate photos or videos, or personal information to people they have not met in person and whose identities they have not reliably verified.