DOJ warns against love scams after anchor Migs Bustos' identity used in con
The Department of Justice has cautioned the public against love scams after television anchor Migs Bustos had his identity used for such activities.
Bustos filed a report on the scammers who used his photos to lure unsuspecting victims online. He submitted screenshots from alleged victims of the scammer, who posed as Bustos and would ask victims for money in exchange for gifts.
"Napansin ko lately is through love scam, aakitin nila, magbuibuild sila ng trust through messaging apps. Tapos eventually sasabihin nila mayroon silang papadeliver tapos hihingi sila ng pera. Hindi naman usually bultuhan, usually in tranches, and then saka nila malalaman na fake pala 'yung kausap nila," the radio host told the news outlet.
One of the victims, who lives in Orlando, Florida, allegedly lost $200,000 (P11,597,200) due to the scammers posing as him.
Bustos said that the incident is "very alarming" as the photos and identities of his loved ones have also been used.
"They use my face, they use my wife's face, my family’s images. Even 'yung mga friends ko in my circle so parang it’s about time to do something about it," he stressed.
In a post on his Facebook account, Bustos said that he hopes his story "will create more awareness" and "make the public more vigilant and not fall to scams."
"Kung walang magpapascam, walang mangsscam," he wrote. "Waiting now for the next steps to complete the process of the complaint."
Regarding his presence online, he noted that his only accounts are "Migs Bustos" on all social media platforms and have verified check marks on them.
"Any accounts are not mine and are pretending to be me," he underscored.
DOJ Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano detailed that the Office of Cybercrime would handle the cases. If push comes to shove, assistance from the National Bureau of Investigation or the Philippine National Police may also be needed.
He urged others to also report these types of crimes especially since the holiday season sees an increase in online activities.
"Ngayon maraming tao ay nakatutok sa kanilang cellphone lalo na Pasko na. Tayo bilang Pilipino, avid users tayo ng social media kaya very vulnerable po talaga ang mga Pilipino dito sa mga ganitong scams and Migs Bustos is one of the victims, but there are so many out there [who also fall victim]," Clavano said.
He further cautioned the public to be more vigilant about people they talk to online due to the prevalence of using AI to mimic real-life persons.
"Make sure kung that sino man ang kausap mo, siya talaga iyon. Be very careful of AI videos. There are certain methods that you can search online to tell kung deepfake ba talaga iyon, kung AI ang ginagamit," Clavano said.
Based on data gathered by the DOJ, there have been more than 100 individuals who fell victim to love scams.
