With authorities nationwide raising alerts ahead of Valentine’s Day, global cybersecurity company Kaspersky said there are practical ways Filipinos can protect themselves from falling victim to online romance scams.
Recent advisories from the Philippine National Police (PNP) show a rise in reported love scam cases, where fraudsters initiate contact through social media or dating platforms before eventually requesting money from victims.
Kaspersky’s threat research also showed that romance scams have grown in sophistication and reach, incorporating a mix of social engineering and technological tools to appear more convincing to victims. Scammers often build rapport over weeks or even months, using carefully crafted messages, stolen photos, and fabricated backstories.
Kaspersky has also identified a rise in fake online Valentine’s Day gift offers, where bogus websites mimic legitimate retailers to harvest payment details or lure users into phishing traps. Such scams exploit seasonal demand for flowers, chocolate, and luxury items, promising steep discounts that are too good to be true.
“Romance scams succeed because cybercriminals prey on the human desire for connection and trust. During love month, scammers know that people are more open to forming new relationships, which makes emotional manipulation an effective tactic to trick victims into sending money or revealing personal data,” said Choon Hong Chee, Head of Consumer Channel, APAC.
To protect yourself from emotionally manipulative and financially devastating romance scams, Kaspersky advises Filipinos to take the following precautions during love month:
For individuals:
● Check website URLs and domain names. In case of any doubts about a site’s authenticity, it’s highly recommended to browse for the official link.
● Never send money, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or personal financial details to someone you have not met in person no matter how convincing their story sounds.
● Be alert to requests to move conversations from dating platforms to private messaging apps. Isolation is often the first step toward manipulation.
● Avoid clicking on links or downloading files sent by online romantic contacts. These may lead to phishing pages or malware.
● Avoid revealing personal and banking data. Only provide sensitive details on secure, verified platforms.
● Be cautious about advertising offers coming from email. Phishing links leading to fake shops are frequently distributed through spam mailings.
● Use multi-aspect cybersecurity protection. Reliable cybersecurity software, prevents clicking on malicious links and makes all online transactions safe.
● Strengthen your digital defenses by using strong, unique passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication.