Guides against online scams
Short answers to the questions that come up before you trust someone from the internet: in dating, buying and selling, renting, jobs and investments.
- How can I tell if the person I met online is married?
- How can I tell if the photos on a profile are stolen?
- Why won't the person I met online video call?
- The person I met online asked me for money for an emergency. Is it a scam?
- How can I tell if a job offer is fake?
- How can I check if a place for rent really exists?
- How can I avoid scams when buying online?
- How can I spot an investment scam?
- How do I report an online scam in the Philippines?
- What does Veritaza check?
Online dating and love scams
- How do I know if my online boyfriend or girlfriend is a scammer?
- A foreigner I met online wants to send me a package. Is it a scam?
- The person says "I love you" after only a few days of chatting. Is that a scam?
- The person says they are a soldier deployed abroad. Is that a scam?
- The person says they work on a ship or an oil rig and cannot meet. Is that a red flag?
- What is a pig butchering scam and how does it start?
- The person wants to move our chat to WhatsApp or Telegram right away. Is that a red flag?
- Someone I met online threatens to post my private photos unless I pay. What should I do?
- The person wants to visit me in the Philippines but asks for money for the ticket or visa. Is that a scam?
- How can I tell if my match on a dating app is a real person?
Fake profiles and stolen photos
- How can I tell if a Facebook profile is fake?
- How do I do a reverse image search on my phone?
- The profile is new, has few friends and few photos. Is that a sign of a scam?
- Someone is using my photos on a fake account. What can I do?
- The person sent me a video, but it looks strange. Can a video be fake?
- How do I know if the account messaging me is a bot?
- The person's photos look like a model or a celebrity. What does that mean?
- I found the same photos under different names. What does that mean?
- Can I check a person just by their Facebook or Instagram username?
Money requests and padala
- The person I met online keeps asking for load. Is that a scam?
- The person asked for my GCash MPIN or OTP. What should I do?
- The person wants to send money to my GCash and have me forward it. Is that a scam?
- The person promises to pay me back double if I lend money now. Is that a scam?
- The person only asked for a small amount. Is it still a scam?
- I already sent money and now the person asks for more. What should I do?
- The name on the person's GCash or bank account is different from their name. Is that a red flag?
- Someone offers to recover the money I lost to a scammer, for a fee. Is that legit?
Buying and selling online
- The buyer sent me a GCash screenshot but the money did not arrive. What now?
- Is cash on delivery (COD) safer than paying first?
- The seller asks for a downpayment before shipping. Is that normal or a scam?
- How do I check if a seller on Facebook Marketplace is legit?
- I paid and the seller blocked me. What can I do?
- How do I meet up safely when buying something online?
- The seller wants me to pay outside the shopping app. Is that a scam?
- How do I avoid getting scammed when buying a second-hand phone online?
- The buyer sent too much and asks me to refund the difference. Is that a scam?
- How do I avoid fake concert ticket sellers online?
- I got a text from a courier asking for a fee to release my package. Is that a scam?