Assistance for Scam Victims in the Philippines

I. Introduction

Scams have become one of the most pervasive crimes in the Philippines, with the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) consistently reporting that online scams, investment fraud, romance scams, phishing, identity theft, and account takeovers comprise the majority of cybercrime complaints. In 2024–2025, losses from financial scams are estimated to run into tens of billions of pesos annually.

Victims range from ordinary employees and OFWs to retirees who lose life savings to fake investment platforms offering impossibly high returns. The psychological, financial, and social impact is devastating, yet many victims remain silent due to shame or belief that nothing can be done.

This is false. Philippine law provides multiple avenues for reporting, criminal prosecution, civil recovery, asset freezing, and even limited victim compensation. This article exhaustively outlines every legal right, remedy, procedure, and government/non-government resource available to scam victims as of December 2025.

II. Relevant Laws and Punishable Acts

  1. Revised Penal Code (Act No. 3815, as amended)

    • Art. 315–318: Estafa/Swindling (6 years to reclusion perpetua depending on amount)
    • Art. 172 in relation to Art. 171: Falsification by private individuals
    • Art. 183: False testimony or perjury (when scammers submit fake documents)

  2. Republic Act No. 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, as amended by RA 11479)

    • Sec. 4(a)(1): Illegal access
    • Sec. 4(a)(2): Illegal interception
    • Sec. 4(a)(3): Data interference
    • Sec. 4(a)(4): System interference
    • Sec. 4(a)(6): Cyber-squatting
    • Sec. 4(b)(3): Computer-related fraud
    • Sec. 4(b)(4): Computer-related identity theft
    • Sec. 4(c)(1): Libel (often used in sextortion cases)
    • Sec. 6: All crimes defined in the RPC committed using ICT are raised one degree higher in penalty.

  3. Republic Act No. 12010 (Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act or AFASA, signed July 2024)
    This is now the single most powerful law for scam victims. It specifically criminalizes:

    • Money muling (punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment and fine of up to three times the amount)
    • Social engineering schemes
    • Economic sabotage through syndicated financial scams (reclusion perpetua if amount exceeds ₱100 million)
    • Unauthorized acquisition/disclosure of payment credentials
      Importantly, AFASA grants the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) explicit authority to issue immediate freeze orders on bank accounts, e-wallets, and remittance accounts upon prima facie evidence of scamming.

  4. Republic Act No. 11967 (Internet Transactions Act of 2023)
    Mandates all digital platforms, e-wallet providers, and online merchants to implement consumer protection mechanisms, verify sellers, and assist victims in takedown and fund recovery.

  5. Republic Act No. 11765 (Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act of 2022)
    Gives consumers the right to file complaints against banks and financial institutions for negligence that enabled the scam (e.g., failure to implement two-factor authentication or suspicious transaction alerts).

  6. Republic Act No. 10173 (Data Privacy Act of 2012)
    Victims whose personal data was stolen or misused may file complaints with the National Privacy Commission (NPC) and claim moral/exemplary damages.

  7. Republic Act No. 9160 (Anti-Money Laundering Act, as amended)
    Allows AMLC to freeze accounts for 20 days (extendable to 6 months) and file civil forfeiture cases even without criminal conviction.

III. Immediate Steps Every Victim Must Take (First 72 Hours Are Critical)

  1. Preserve all evidence

    • Screenshots of conversations, transaction receipts, emails, fake websites, bank transfer confirmations, GCash/InstaPay/PesoNet references, cryptocurrency wallet addresses.
    • Do NOT delete chat threads (Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger).

  2. Report to your bank or e-money issuer immediately

    • Banks and EMI (GCash, Maya, ShopeePay, etc.) are required under BSP Circular 1161 (2022) and RA 12010 to act on fraud reports within 24–48 hours.
    • Many banks will provisionally credit the amount while investigating if reported quickly.

  3. File a police blotter at the nearest station (for documentation) and an online cybercrime complaint:

  4. Request account freeze via AMLC (through PNP-ACG or NBI)
    Under RA 12010, freeze orders can now be issued within hours if the receiving account is in the Philippines.

  5. If cryptocurrency is involved, immediately report to the BSP Fintech Division and SEC (if it was a fake investment platform).

IV. Where to File Complaints and Get Free Assistance

  1. Philippine National Police – Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG)

    • Hotline: (02) 8723-0401 loc. 7491
    • Mobile: 0998-849-0007 (Smart) / 0917-858-7399 (Globe)
    • Email: acg@pnp.gov.ph

  2. National Bureau of Investigation – Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD)

    • Hotline: (02) 8523-8231 loc. 3403
    • Online complaint portal preferred.

  3. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas – Consumer Protection Department

  4. Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC)

    • Victims may directly request assistance through PNP-ACG/NBI; AMLC rarely accepts walk-ins.

  5. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

  6. Department of Justice – Office of Cybercrime (DOJ-OOC)

    • Handles preliminary investigation and prosecution
    • Victims can file directly if police investigation is slow.

  7. Public Attorney’s Office (PAO)

    • Free legal representation for indigent victims (monthly family income ≤ ₱30,000 in Metro Manila)
    • Handles both criminal and civil cases.

  8. Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Free Legal Aid

    • Every province has an IBP chapter that provides pro bono lawyers.

  9. National Privacy Commission (NPC)

V. Civil Recovery Options

Even if the scammer is never caught, victims can recover from third parties who were negligent:

  1. File a civil case for damages against the bank/e-wallet under RA 11765

    • Many victims have successfully obtained settlements ranging from ₱100,000 to several million pesos when banks failed to detect obviously fraudulent transactions.

  2. File against telcos for allowing SIMs used in scams (under RA 11934 SIM Registration Act liability provisions).

  3. File against social media platforms (Facebook/Meta, Telegram) via the Internet Transactions Act takedown and cooperation provisions.

  4. Civil forfeiture under AMLA – recovered funds are returned to victims after court order (precedent: several 2024–2025 cases where victims recovered 70–100% of amounts).

VI. Criminal Prosecution and Victim Rights Under RA 11930 (Victim Compensation Act of 2022, implementing rules 2024)

For the first time, scam victims classified as “victims of violent crimes” (when accompanied by threats or when amount exceeds ₱500,000) may apply for compensation from the Board of Claims under the Department of Justice:

  • Maximum ₱250,000–₱500,000 compensation for financial loss, medical, and psychological treatment
  • Filing period: within 5 years from the scam
  • Requirements: police report + affidavit of loss

VII. Special Cases

  • Romance scams/sextortion: File under RA 9995 (Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act) + Cybercrime Act
  • Fake job scams: File with DOLE + estafa
  • Cryptocurrency scams: SEC has successfully coordinated with Binance, Coins.ph, PDAX for account freezes and fund recovery in 2024–2025 cases
  • OFW victims abroad: Coordinate through Philippine Embassy/OWWA for repatriation and legal assistance

VIII. Prevention and Long-Term Support

  • Enroll in BSP’s National Retail Payment System alerts
  • Use virtual cards for online transactions
  • Join victim support groups: “Scam Survivors Philippines” (Facebook), “Cybercrime Victims Assistance Philippines”

IX. Conclusion

Being scammed is not the end. Philippine law has evolved dramatically since 2022, with RA 12010 (AFASA), RA 11967 (Internet Transactions Act), and RA 11765 giving victims unprecedented tools for rapid fund freezing, civil recovery, and criminal prosecution.

Act within 72 hours, preserve evidence, and use the free government resources listed above. Thousands of victims in 2024–2025 have recovered substantial amounts through AMLC freezes and bank settlements.

You are not alone, and the law is now decisively on your side.

Disclaimer: This content is not legal advice and may involve AI assistance. Information may be inaccurate.

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