DFA warns Filipinos in The Netherlands, HK on lottery scam

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Saturday warned Filipino citizens working in The Netherlands and Hong Kong against a lottery scam targeting overseas Filipino workers (OFW). The DFA has advised Filipinos working overseas to be wary of text messages and e-mails sent to them informing they won a large sum of money. The swindler usually instructs the receiver to deposit or remit money to certain individuals to ensure that they can claim their “prize." Romeo Arguelles, Ambassador to The Hague, The Netherlands, reported to the DFA a modus operandi wherein prospective victims receive either a letter or an e-mail informing them they won thousands of Euros in an online lottery. The letter also states the recipient had allegedly been chosen through a computer balloting system and the prize money is being kept in a pre-designated account. It also instructs the victim to call or e-mail a certain individual to confirm his winning. If the prospective victims comply with the instruction, they are advised to keep their winning information undisclosed until they are able to process their claim and the money is remitted to them. Arguelles said the victims were advised to pay an amount via money transfer to a given address. They were also told that there was a deadline for them to remit the amount. Arguelles said they have already identified two fictitious accounts – Saxo Financial Online Bank and Globalum Lottery Promotions. The embassy said they have advised the Filipino community in The Netherlands, as well as all OFWs to ignore the false announcements, and not to remit any amount to any bank. In Hong Kong, Philippine Consul General Alejandrino Vicente reported that a Filipino woman was victimized through text messaging by swindlers posing as officers of a certain “GMA Charity Foundation." Vicente said the victim received a text message on February 14, 2006, informing her that she won P3 million in an electronic raffle draw during the first anniversary of the GMA Charity Foundation. The victim was asked to call a certain lawyer Alfred Macapagal at mobile number 0919-8539395 for details on claiming her prize. She was then instructed to deposit a total of P55,000 in a Western Union account in the Philippines in the name of Joel Nadera Chavez, supposedly for the payment of taxes and other fees and as a pre-condition to her claiming the “prize". She was also asked to call an alleged manager of a Western Union branch in Pasay City, lawyer Antonio Uy, at mobile number 0919-3234278 to get instructions on how to collect her P3 million cheque. She said after she had deposited the total amount on February 14 and 15, 2006, she could no longer contact the swindlers.-GMANews.TV