A veteran Singaporean actor sought help from Raffy Tulfo’s “Wanted sa Radyo” program after losing approximately 1.5 million pesos after being deceived by a Filipina woman he met through a dating site.
Laurence Pang narrated in the program how a certain “Mika” he met through the dating app called “Pinalove” in December 2024 expressed interest in him and tricked him into investing in a fake online business in the Philippines.
Admittedly smitten by Mika’s charm, Pang got convinced to join as a reseller, only to realize later that she was selling the products on a fake version of Japanese e-commerce platform Rakuten.
“The URL she gave me was a fake one,” said Pang.
Mika asked Pang to transfer funds into her bank account, claiming the money would be used to set up his e-commerce and cryptocurrency accounts.
The platform claimed a 10 percent commission and a refund of his capital for each confirmed sale. However, Pang grew suspicious when orders accumulated rapidly, saying it was generated by the platform to prevent him from withdrawing his money.
“The company would give me an online shop to put products there and whenever there’s a customer who buys any products there, I have to fund it first,” shared Pang.
Despite removing products to halt sales, Pang believes the administrators reloaded the items, leaving him unable to recover his $27,000 (P1.1 million) cryptocurrency investment.
Pang said that Mika was able to persuade her by showing fake profit reports and claiming her own success in the venture.
“Being an old man, you know, when a young lady says ‘I like you…’. Stupid, you know,” said Pang who noted that he only communicated with Mika through video chats and never met in person.
The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNPACG) identified the incident as a “romance scam” or “love scam,” where cyber criminals manipulate victims emotionally to get them to invest in cryptocurrency.
The agency advised the public to be wary of online transactions and social media interactions to avoid this kind of incident.
Tulfo’s program then offered to provide hotel accommodation, food, and pocket money for Pang as they work on tracking down the perpetrators behind the scam.
“Is that necessary?” asked Pang as he thanked the program for its “generosity.”
“It’s necessary for us because I’m doing this because I’m ashamed you were duped by a fellow Filipino. I kind of feel embarrassed so as penance, I’m doing this to show you that we Filipinos are not like what this ‘Mika’ did to you,” said Tulfo.
