ILIGAN CITY (Mindanao Examiner / June 26, 2012) – At least two Filipino women have raised the alarm against a syndicate, whose members are now using social media networks and other chat rooms over the Internet, to lure their victims and make money out of their acquaintances, particularly with those who are looking for foreign spouses or partners in life.
Alicia, not her real name, tells her story to the Mindanao Examiner and narrated how she was befriended by a Caucasian named Jeffrey in the Internet. The man, she says, claimed to be working as an engineer who also runs several businesses, including apartments, in the United Kingdom
ROMANCE
After weeks of courting, Alicia finally accepted Jeffrey’s offer of love and devotion to a future family and, with this understanding, the duo had their relationship to more than a month; and as the two became close by chatting almost every night until dawn – Jeff, as Alicia fondly called him – proposed a marriage and asked her to look for a house and lot because he intends to buy one for them.
He specifically instructed Alicia to find a house with a swimming pool.
Alicia, overwhelmed by these promises and romantic love affair, told her close kin and friends about their plan. She, in fact, went on to find a house with swimming pool and found one worth P9 million; and during one of their chatting sessions, she told him about it. “Jeff said it was affordable and he will send the money to buy the property,” Alicia exclaims.
But during all those time they chatted, never did Alicia see Jeffrey’s actual face on the webcam, except for a purported photo of him – and she was afraid to open the topic with Jeff for fear that he will take advantage of her by asking to see her body. But Jeff was also not keen on pursuing to see Alicia via video chat. So, Alicia did not make any attempt at video chat – not until last week.
DIAMOND RING FOR MY LOVE
On June 15, Jeff told Alicia that he had sent a special package – a gift from him to her – which would a diamond ring, three boxes of jewelries, some denim jeans and a big sum of undeclared cash that he supposedly hid among the things inside to save payment for courier.
He gave Alicia special instructions to inform him before claiming the package because “Jeff said the courier company will be asking many questions before releasing it to me.”
Excited as she was, Alicia says she cannot believe that Jeffrey would send her all those things, but just the same he waited for the moment that he would chat with her for important instructions before claiming the package.
PLEASE PAY
Unfortunately, Alicia missed the time they were about to chat and until three days later, she received a phone call from a man who claimed to be an employee of Global courier in Manila
The caller had asked Alicia several things for “identification purposes” and later told her that she needed to pay P30,000 in taxes for the package.
Alicia says she cannot produce the money and so he called Jeff to clarify things about it and to tell him that she did not have the money to pay for taxes.
At this point, Alicia demanded that she and Jeff speak through webcam, but he refused. And then she started to doubt about Jeff’s real intention.
She later found out that there was no package after all and that Jeff and his cohorts, who claimed to be working for the courier company, were simply trying to get money from her.
THE OTHER WOMAN
Alicia says she discovered lately that Jeff also befriended another Filipina named Lily who lives in Zamboanga City
Jeff also promised Lily the same thing he did to Alicia. Lily had also suspected the same and did not pay any thing to the man who claimed to be working with a courier firm so she can get her package that Jeff supposedly sent her.
Alicia says she suspects Jeff is a member of a syndicate victimizing women who fall prey to his antics. She describes Jeff’s photo as a good-looking man and talks over the phone with a foreign accent. She says the man, who claimed to represent Global courier, talked and sounded like a Filipino.
BEWARE
Alicia cautions Filipinas who are looking for partners in the Internet to be cautious so as not to fall into the hands of this syndicate. She says Jeff could have used a photo of other person to dupe other innocent people.
Alicia tells that Jeff usually writes long messages and claims to be a widow with one kid; and that he wants to settle down with a Filipina who is willing to accept him and his daughter.
“Of course, there is no truth to all these and he could be telling the same lies not only to me and Lily, but to as many as he can for our hard-earned money,” Alicia says. (Cheng Ordonez)
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