A 30-year-old merchandiser from Batangas City fell victim to a so-called ‘Task Scam’ that almost emptied his e-wallet after he provided his one-time password (OTP) to the scammer.

The suspect reportedly posed as a staff member of a content vlogger.

The victim said he was browsing social media when he was enticed by a cash giveaway promising a chance to win P7,000. 

All he needed to do was comment on the post with his phone number and just seconds after he did, he received a call.

“Nagpakilala po siya na ano ng content vlogger, isa raw po siyang tauhan,” the victim said.

“Papadalhan daw po ako ng P5,000… pangalawa naman po, P2,000 sa isa po siyang payment online,” he added.

Eager to receive the prize, the victim followed the caller's instructions and provided the OTP for his digital wallet.


The victim was then asked to send P1,500 to the caller to receive the P7,000.

“P1,500 daw po 'yung ise-send ko daw sa kanya para daw po makuha ko 'yung P7,000. Hindi ko po naggawa dahil wala naman po akong ganoong halaga,” the victim said.

The scammer requested additional personal details, which the victim refused to give. 

After ending the call, the victim noticed his e-wallet balance was decreasing.

He lost nearly P1,000, which he had intended to use for personal expenses and his allowance.

The victim advised:

“Huwag po tayo basta magpadala, [o] ma-engganyo sa online na scam. Lumayo tayo sa ganyan. Huwag po natin pansinin. Mga scam na kagaya niyan,” he said.

The victim has yet to report the incident to the police, as of this writing. He could no longer contact the caller. 

Police urged victims of online scams to report such incidents.

“Kasi mas magandang may datos din kami and at the same time, ma-e-endorse din po namin sila, [at] mabibigyan ng magandang payo kung anong gagawin; and at the same time i-e-endorse natin sa agency,” PLT. Sharen Ama, Chief of Batangas City Police Station, said.

Ama advised the public to be skeptical of offers that seem too good to be true - as they often are.