Thief uses student's ID posted on Facebook to pull off online scam

Do not post personal information on your social media accounts unless you really need to. This was a lesson that a college student learned the hard way.

 

According to a report on "24 Oras" aired Friday evening, Eliseo Miguel, a college student who was looking to buy an exhaust pipe for his motorcycle, posted about his concern on his Facebook account.

 

Shortly after, a stranger sent him a message offering a pipe for P3,500. It was a good deal because exhaust pipes usually sell for around P5,000.

 

They struck a deal but Miguel wanted proof of the seller's identity and asked him to show an ID. The seller obliged, sending him a photo of a driver's license. Miguel noticed, though, that the seller's name on the license was different from what he used on Facebook.

 

Nonetheless, Miguel sent his P3,500 payment and waited for delivery. The part he purchased never arrived.

 

It turns out that the seller sent Miguel someone else's drivers' license. Miguel posted the story of his encounter on the Facebook page for motorcycle riders to warn them against the thief.

 

GMA News reporter Cesar Apolinario managed to contact the real owner of the drivers' license – a college student from a prestigious university in Manila.The owner is also the son of a government official in Caloocan.

 

He denied that he ever sold exhaust pipes and that he made the transaction through Facebook.

 

He said he was at school on November 21, the day the thief sent Miguel a message. He added he was with his friends all day the next day.

He said he was surprised when Miguel contacted him through Facebook repeatedly asking for his P3,500 back.

 

Apparently, the student, proud of finally getting his drivers' license, posted a photo of it on Facebook last October. He said that this could have been what the thief used to steal from Miguel.

 

The student's father will reportedly work with the National Bureau of Investigation to track down the thief. 

 

In the age of social media, being vigilant with what you post and reviewing Privacy and Security settings can go a long way in preventing identity theft. — Kim Luces/JDS, GMA News