167 Filipinos, 2 Chinese arrested in love scam hub using AI

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) personnel raided an alleged love scam hub in Makati City that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to lure unsuspecting victims from Europe and the Middle East. 

According to John Consulta’s report in "24 Oras" on Tuesday, at least 167 Filipinos and two Chinese citizens were arrested during the operation where they were caught in the act of doing scamming operations.

Authorities found the scripts on the desktops and they also discovered the mobile phones that were automated to exchange messages with the victims. They also found unregistered SIM cards for the mobile phones.

NBI-National Capital Region director Ferdinand Lavin said they are looking into possibly filing charges against the suspects for violating the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act and the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

But what stunned the NBI personnel was the use of AI to generate a realistic face that would talk to the victims in video calls.

Real-time AI scamming

This AI system, the first of its kind seized by authorities, can generate realistic female faces and superimpose them on scammers' faces. The technology enables the operator to imitate human actions and expressions in real time, making it easier to deceive targets on dating apps and other online platforms, particularly in Europe and the Middle East.

“Kanina, humarap ako doon, kahit yung sarili kong mukha nabago sa AI, real time napapalitan nila. Talaga madu-dupe nila into believing na tunay sila,” said NBI director Jaime Santiago.

(I faced the webcam and I saw my face change with AI in real time. They can really trick people into believing that they are real.)

“This technology enhances the syndicate’s ability to dupe and scam individuals searching for love online. It’s a sophisticated tool that makes their operations even more dangerous,” Santiago said.

High salaries

One of the Filipino suspects shared that their group has been operating for nearly three years and the number of target victims a day is at least three foreigners.

“Kapag na-build na po namin 'yung trust tsaka yung relationship, doon na papasok 'yung tinatawag na investment scam,” said “Alfred” (not his real name).

(Once we build the trust and relationship with them, that’s when the investment scam will enter the conversation.)

“Sa totoo lang, malaki talaga ang sahod dito. Hindi po kaya ibigay ng normal na trabaho. Pagdating sa konsensya, wala na po siguro, pera na lang iniisip namin,” he added.

(To be honest, we earn so much from this. The money we earn from this is something that cannot be earned from normal jobs. When it comes to conscience, money is more important to us.) 

Alfred admitted that the high pay offered by the scam hub is just too good to resist. Employees receive a base salary of PHP 30,000 per month, with the possibility of earning hundreds of thousands more in commissions. Alfred shared that one colleague even earned PHP 500,000 in a single month. These commissions are reportedly paid in cash by their Chinese supervisors.

While most of their Chinese counterparts have relocated to Cambodia, their Makati hub remains one of the primary fraud arms of the operation.

The guise of love

Alfred detailed their modus operandi: scammers first engage with foreigners on dating apps, building trust through well-crafted conversations. Once trust is established, they convince their victims to move their chats to WhatsApp. From there, the second phase of the scam begins—introducing investment opportunities in cryptocurrency platforms.

This is where Chinese operators take over, luring victims to invest increasingly large amounts of money. According to Alfred, the entire scheme is designed to exploit people’s emotional vulnerability for financial gain, often under the guise of love.

The NBI warned Filipino workers in scam hubs that they should not be lured with the money they can earn because it will only harm them in the long run.

Santiago issued a stern warning to Filipinos involved in such operations. Workers in these scam hubs face potential legal consequences, including violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act, Human Trafficking laws (non-bailable) and the newly enacted Anti-Financial Scamming Act, which carries penalties of 12 to 20 years in prison. — John Consulta and Vince Angelo Ferreras/BAP/ VDV, GMA Integrated News