A heart-wrenching episode unfolded on the Filipino television show "Raffy Tulfo in Action," where 78-year-old Laurence Pang shared his ordeal of falling victim to a love scam. Hosted by the esteemed broadcaster-turned-senator Raffy Tulfo, the show is known for mediating disputes and addressing complaints. During the episode, Laurence recounted how he lost approximately 1.5 million pesos ($34,800) to a scam orchestrated by a woman he met on the Filipino dating site Pinalove.
Laurence's troubles began when a woman named Mika lured him into investing in cryptocurrency. Initially planning to invest just $100, Laurence found himself drawn further into the scam, resulting in a substantial financial loss. Mika dazzled Laurence with tales of her "profits" and how she was "making good money," which convinced him to invest more.
"She used her charms, let's put it this way," Laurence explained, illustrating how Mika manipulated his trust.
To make matters worse, Laurence alleged that the online shopping mall where he was supposed to act as a "reseller" was a counterfeit version of Japan's Rakuten platform. He had to prepay for products but only received a 10% commission upon each purchase—an arrangement that turned out to be part of the scam.
Addressing the episode's audience, Raffy Tulfo expressed his dismay over the incident. He offered to sponsor Laurence's stay in the Philippines and provide him with a daily allowance, describing it as a form of "penance" for his fellow countrymen’s actions.
"I'm doing this because I'm ashamed that you are duped by a fellow Filipino. I feel kind of embarrassed, so as penance, I'm doing this to show to you, sir, that we Filipinos are not like what this Mika did to you," Raffy stated, reflecting on the impact of the scam on both Laurence and broader Filipino society.
The show also featured an appearance by a spokeswoman from the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group. She elaborated on the tactics used by love scammers, emphasizing how they exploit victims' sympathies and push them towards investing in cryptocurrency.
Laurence's case took an intriguing turn when he managed to take a screenshot of Mika during a video call, unbeknownst to her. This evidence might prove crucial as Raffy Tulfo announced plans to follow up on the case by attempting to contact Mika directly.
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