CICC warns vs. staycation scam

This vacation season, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) warned the public against the "staycation scam."

The scam involves supposed third-party agents offer very cheap or non-existent accommodations online, sometimes use fake identities and most of them are unreachable after payment is made.

According to Emil Sumangil’s Wednesday report on “24 Oras,” the posted accommodation photos show big rooms and beautiful scenery that entice the victims to avail of the low rates.

Ivy (not her real name) said the supposed agent she talked to immediately sent the room rates and room photos upon her inquiry. Ivy said she has to immediately send the payment so as to block the dates she wanted to book.

However, when she sent the payment, the agent did not reply to her.

“Nakakainis po. Maliit na halaga pero pinaghirapan ng family ko (it’s upsetting because even though we lost a small amount of money, our family still worked hard for it),” Ivy said.

Celso (not his real name) shared the same experience when he booked an accommodation to spend Christmas in Boracay.

He said he was enticed to book the room because of the photos and low prices sent to him.

But when he followed up, the agent told him that the operator could not accommodate him, and that he lost his P5,000.

Pia Arellano of Fintech Alliance PH said scammers are sophisticated, well-coordinated, and designed to deceive nowadays.

According to the CICC, there were 2,820 incident reports of staycation scams in the first quarter of 2026 alone.

For 2025, there were at least 6,462 staycation scam incidents reported.

CICC executive director Aboy Paraiso urged the public to report similar incidents to the agency’s hotline at 1326.

The agency will also open its action center in April to accommodate scam victims.

Victims can also recover their lost money by coordinating with financial institutions and banks.

Among the red flags that the public should watch out for are: if the agent is in a rush to collect the payment, cannot provide proof that the offer is theirs, and the prices are too low.

The CICC advised the public to book their accommodation through established booking platforms to avoid falling victim to scams. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BAP, GMA Integrated News