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Hey. I was thinking about how I helped id a scammer for a friend. He was chatting to some scammer from South Africa and sending her money. It was nice to be able to put a stop to it so I thought I'd share the technique for anyone here to do some basic due dilligence. I downloaded 'her' photo to my computer, then uploaded it to Google images. It showed the same photo had been used for another profile in the US. The scammer had stolen it. It's a pretty common technique, so this should be the first thing everyone who is looking online should check. I agree with everyone who will say that dating filipinas online is usually bad value anyway, but if you are going to do it anyway it's wise to take precautions. Any other tips?

A pity-evoking scam: a beggar approaches you and shows you a gaping wound filled with pus. He tells you that he needs tetanus shots, but can't afford them. You buy him the shots and offer to take him to a doctor, too. By then, he disappears. Then, he goes back to the pharmacy and gets a refund. More  Bait and switch: You are met by hotel reps at the ( bus/train/boat/ air-)station. They tell you that the rates are so much and show you brochures. Then, they take you to the hotel and ask you to pay the fare. You pay and they go. Now, the front desk tell you that there's no such rate and you end up paying 30%-50%-100% more. What're you gonna do in a strange city which you don't know anything about? Your bags are by your side, you're tired and hungry and want to rest.  "I have no change": You take a taxi and get to your destination. You pull out a bill and he says:" I have no change". What're you gonna do in the middle of nowhere? You end up paying him with large bills. Always get smaller bills and coins. More Spilled my food! A man bumps into you with a Styrofoam plate and his food is on the road now. He accuses you of pushing him and depriving him of his meal. You now have to give him money to buy new food. More Fake porter/Driver. Where? Airports in developing countries. You walk out and people ask you if you need a taxi. You say- yes. They grab your bag and take you to it. Then, he asks for a big tip. You think it's a driver but it's not. It's an unregistered porter. Sometimes, there are two of them offering services you didn't ask for. More

Okay, I have just spent a week in Manila and as usual where possible I do use Jeepnys on odd occasions and today was no exception. I was travelling back from Market Market to Makati and was sitting right up behind the driver. There was a pinoy sitting opposite me giving me the eye. I was initially thinking he may fancy me but I knew he wasn’t when another two got on and sat right up against me. This was in spite of the fact that there as plenty of room. The guy next to me has a bag on his lap and his hands were underneath the bag. Strange me thinks, perhaps he his quietly enjoying himself. But the alarm bells were ringing as the guy opposite me was trying to out stare me. Me thinks, I could have an issue here so I reached into my pocket and switched on my trusty Tazer. All was quiet for a few minutes then the third one reach across me with a 20 peso note to pay the driver, but conveniently dropped it just in front of me. Silly me reaches down to retrieve it for him and as I do so, the Guy next to me reached into my pocket and sets off my Tazer. OMG, I don’t know who got the biggest fright, him, me or the rest of the passengers. It went off right by my Willie, the pain, My initial reaction was to stand up , but in doing so almost knocked myself out. The Guy with his hand in my pocket almost tore my trousers off trying to get his hand out of my pocket. In doing so he tazered himself and could not release the button on the Tazer, so he was getting shocked over and over. The other two guys had no idea what was happening to their mate or the Kano that was going crazy. They just got up and bolted, even though we were still moving. Eventually the guy next to me composed himself enough to bail out as well. There was only me and a couple of old ladies left as the rest had departed also. The driver started to demand payment for all passengers and was not so politely told what he could do as I believe he was part of the conspiracy. I hailed a cab and went back to my hotel. Moral to Story. Tazers work just fine. Don’t get tazered into your genitals. Be aware at all times, especially those who smile at you. I can just imagine those guys chatting and still working out what actually happened

Philippines arrests 44 from China, Taiwan in Internet fraud Forty-two Taiwanese and two Chinese suspects have been arrested in the Philippines over a sophisticated Internet scam targeting compatriots back home, police said Thursday. The suspects -- who posed as police officers, prosecutors, judges and anti-money laundering officials -- cheated people from Taiwan and China out of their money by claiming they could safeguard their cash, a police statement said. The scammers would allegedly convince their victims that their bank accounts were being used for money-laundering and that their assets could be protected if they transferred all their money to accounts owned by the fraudsters, police added. "The syndicates... usually go to the Philippines as tourists and rent houses in posh (housing projects)" where they set up their illegal operations, a police statement said. The suspects were arrested in a series of raids in the central city of Iloilo on Wednesday by a police anti-cybercrime unit and immigration bureau agents. The law enforcers were aided by an official of Taiwan's cultural office in Manila, it said.The two Chinese suspects were "caught in the act of engaging with their would-be victims abroad," said Senior Inspector Joanna Fabro, adding that scammers often believed they were unlikely to be prosecuted in the Philippines. But she said the authorities were now boosting their anti-cybercrime capabilities."Maybe they aren't afraid of our laws. But we have more teeth and we hope more of them will be apprehended soon," she said. The suspects will eventually be deported to China and Taiwan respectively but the "digital evidence" of their crimes will be gathered by Philippine investigators to be used when they face trial at home, Fabro added. Such scams involving people from Taiwan and China operating in the Philippines have become increasingly common in recent years. "We can see an increasing trend in cybercrimes like this scam," warned Fabro.Since 2012, the Philippines has deported hundreds of Taiwanese and Chinese for taking part in such rackets, usually targeting the elderly in Taiwan and China.