Around 50 delivery riders both in the city and in the province of Iloilo complained against bogus buyers who duped them reportedly of items estimated to be worth around P100,000 since December 2023.

The Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit 6 is set to investigate on the complaint. 

Alias “Al” is a food delivery rider for two years already. He narrated that it was in December 2023 when he encountered a scammer who ordered from him two buckets of fried chicken and a piece of burger through a fastfood chain. But when he had the order delivered in an establishment in Barangay San Rafael, Mandurriao district in Iloilo City, the buyer did not answer allegedly his repeated calls. 

He said he was given an address that did not exist and that no person in the establishment recognized the buyer’s name. 

 “Nag-ring lang ang cellphone pero ino-off niya. Hinanap ko po ang block and lot na nakalagay sa address. Nang magtanong na ako, wala na man daw ganyang lot. Tapos wala ring ganyan na pangalan,” alias “Al” said.

Alias “Jesa,” who stands as spokesperson of the group of delivery riders, said that it is a modus operandi of bogus buyers to order items and refuse to accept calls once the items are up for delivery.  

The bogus buyers, she said, would then pretend to complain against the items to ask purposely for vouchers from agents of online food delivery platforms so they could demand reimbursement. The amount sent to bogus buyers will be charged to the delivery riders.

“Minsan, mga ten times na natawagan, minsan halos kalahating oras na. Kaya nagre-report din kami sa dispatcher o agent. Sorry voucher ang tawag dyan kasi sasabihin niya na wrong item or missing item. Isinasauli din sa kanya ang halaga na kanyang in-order,” alias “Jesa” said.

The bogus buyers have reportedly duped riders of an estimated P100,000. They said that ten of them had fallen prey to a scammer who used the same cellphone number. They said they have had enough so they reported the concern to the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit 6 to trace the bogus buyers and establish their identities for possible filing of charges.

Alias “Jesa” emphasized that the act cannot be labeled simply as a prank.

“Hindi siya matatawag na prank kasi maka-gain naman siya talaga dahil [may] voucher. Scam talaga siya kasi kapag umorder siya, ‘yung amount ng order nya ibinabalik sa kanya,” she added.

The Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit 6 will launch a probe into the complaint based on the cellphone numbers and online conversations between the delivery riders and alleged bogus buyers.

Charges for estafa will be filed against the perpetrators, according to Lieutenant Colonel Richard Habawel, Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit 6 assistant chief.

“It’s either we will request the telephone companies or we will apply for a warrant para ma-disclose nila ‘yung mga information na nando’n sa cellphone numbers kung sino ang may-ari ng cellphone number na yun,” Habawel said.