Beware of online dating scams from the Philippines romance websites!
Every year men from the United States and other Western countries go online trying to find the perfect Filipina lady to date. They go for good reason, because women from the Philippines are some of the sweetest and most wonderful women in the world!
But there are scammers lurking on those online dating websites as well. On a good reputable website like FilipinaCupid or ChristianFilipina, the honest and sincere girls far exceed the scammers. But it is best to be aware of what the top scams are on Filipino dating websites. These scams all generally fall under the category of Romance Scams.
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Cam girl
The Cam girl scam is a short term scam that reveals itself very quickly. Basically you meet a girl on one of the dating websites and she quickly gets you to an alternate platform such as a video chat like Skype.
Once on video they offer to strip or do sexual acts on camera in return for payment. Basically they are using the dating site to acquire new customers for their live porn acts.
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Blackmail
This scam is works similar to the Cam Girl scam, although it may take a little longer. The woman will get the mark to meet them off of the dating website and onto a video chat platform. They will then attempt to get the mark to get nude or masturbate to them on camera while they do the same. Later they will threaten to send the video to the marks facebook friends or family members if they do not pay.
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Sell my sister/ Marriage Broker
In this scam, the scammer (who may be male or female) sends the man a message or greeting on the dating website. The scammers profile will show pictures of a very pretty young woman (usually stolen or copied from a real person’s profile). The man then responds on the dating website and may start a conversation. The scammer will attempt to get the man’s email address to further communicate. This is usually the biggest red flag because email is generally not the way legitimate ladies from the Philippines want to initially communicate.
Later the man will get an email with pictures of the lady from someone claiming to be her brother, father, or other relative. The email will claim that they will arrange for you to be married to the person for a FEE. Once the fee is paid there usually is no further contact unless the scammer thinks they can get more money out of the mark. Obviously there is no real lady ready to meet the man. This con is very easy to spot, yet enough lonely people fall for it that scammers continue to use this method.
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Quick money
This scam can either be short term or long term. The basic premise is that the lady needs money to continue communication with the man. Usually the internet is about to be turned off or she need load (credits) for her phone in order to continue to communicate with you.
It is usually done in the first 3-5 communications but can be in the first chat session. The amount of money is fairly small by western standards, sometimes twenty dollars. This can however lead to asking for more money over time.
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Emergency
The women in the Philippines that you have been talking to for a few days or even weeks suddenly has emergency in the family. Perhaps she has become sick and needs medicine or a storm has caused damage to where she lives and needs repairs.
If you have never met this person in real life and have only been talking a few months, then it probably is a scam. However, much of the Philippines are very poor compared to the West. It is possible that she really has an emergency and is so desperate that she asks you for help. The problem is that you have never met this person and you are not in a real relationship. You simply cannot tell if it is a truthful plea or a scam.
Never send money to someone you have not met in person! This is always the safest rule to follow.
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Gifts business model
This is where a woman has multiple sponsors that she is chatting with online. Probably with no intention of getting in to a serious relationship with any of the men. Or sometimes just waiting for one of them to marry her and bring her to the man’s country. She has men send her gifts or money, all the while she is chatting and doing the same with other men.
Basically this is her business. If she gets five men to send her $100 a month, then she has made more than she would have working a job in the Philippines!
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Pro or semi pro
These women are willing to meet the man in the Philippines when he comes. However, they want to be paid for their time. A Pro is a straight up prostitute and will simply ask for 1500 pesos for spending time with the man. They may or may not be open to a real relationship, but should be avoided like the plague.
A semi pro may not consider what she is doing prostitution. Basically she will ask for Taxi Money or some other amount that is 3-5 times the actual cost. The foreigner will likely not know the costs and will agree to pay. She has then made a little extra money for her trouble. Again these women are to be avoided at all costs because they are not good girlfriend or wife material.
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Already has boyfriend or husband
Sometimes a woman who is already married or has a boyfriend will troll online dating websites. Usually with the husbands full knowledge. She is trying to get foreign men to send her money. Many times she will actually stay with the foreigner when he comes to the Philippines and pretend she is single and in love with him.
In some cases they have agreed to get married and get the foreigner to send them money to process the visa application and medical fees. These fees are then used by her and the Husband to live. Obvioulsy she is not coming on a visa to the foreigner’s country as she is already married.
In some cases foreigners have been lured in to the Philippines and robbed or killed by the couple.
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Green Card
The final scam is fairly rare but it does happen enough to mention. This is where the Filipina comes to the United States to marry the man, but she has no intention of staying with him after she get either her permanent green card or citizenship. It is more rare because it takes a lot of commitment to stay with a man for years with the only intention of getting an immigration benefit.
In a future post I will give tips on how to spot these scams and avoid them. Again most Filipina’s are looking for a legitimate relationship and are good people. But anyone dealing with international online dating should be aware that these scams exist. The best way to avoid them is to be aware, meet the person in person, and really know who they are!