Quick answer

If you were scammed while shopping online or using social media in the Philippines, contact your bank or e-wallet immediately, preserve the evidence, report the account or transaction to the platform, and bring suspected criminal fraud to the PNP’s cybercrime unit or the NBI. You can also call CICC’s 1326 hotline for cybercrime assistance.

For a purchase from an online business, use the seller’s or platform’s complaint process and, when appropriate, escalate to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). If your complaint concerns how a bank or e-wallet handled the incident, complain to that institution first, then escalate an unresolved concern to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

These routes serve different purposes. Reporting a scam does not automatically reverse a payment, freeze an account, or secure a refund.

1. Stop further losses immediately

Do not send another payment to “release” your order, unlock a refund, pay a supposed investigation fee, or recover the money already lost.

Contact your payment provider through its official app, the number printed on your card, or a website you open independently. Avoid contact details supplied by the suspected scammer or strangers offering help in comments.

Explain clearly whether:

You authorised a payment because you were deceived.
Someone accessed your account and made a transaction without your permission.
You paid for goods that were not delivered or were materially different from what was promised.

These are different situations. Describe what actually happened rather than choosing a label you think will produce a faster refund.

Ask the provider to record the fraud report, secure any compromised account, investigate the transaction, and assess available tracing, holding, recall, or dispute options. Obtain a reference number and written instructions for supporting documents.

If you disclosed a password, PIN, one-time password (OTP), or card details, act immediately. From a trusted device, change compromised passwords, secure the linked email account, and end unfamiliar sessions. Tell your provider if you installed a remote-access application or lost control of your mobile number.

Can the bank or e-wallet hold the money?

For qualifying disputed transactions, BSP Circular No. 1215 provides for coordinated verification and temporary holding of disputed funds. Complaint-initiated action starts through the originating institution’s 24/7 fraud-reporting channel.

The initial holding period is up to five calendar days. A justified extension may add up to 25 calendar days; holding beyond the total 30 days requires a court extension. Supporting documents—such as a sworn complaint, affidavit, police report, or other evidence—must generally be supplied within the initial holding period, subject to the applicable industry protocol.

Ask exactly what documents are required and when they are due. These are holding periods, not deadlines allowing you to delay reporting, and a hold does not establish entitlement to a refund. BSP Circular No. 1215, series of 2025

2. Preserve evidence before it disappears

Save the records before reporting or blocking the account, if you can do so safely. Do not delay securing a compromised financial account merely to collect perfect screenshots.

Keep:

Evidence	What to preserve
Seller or account information	Profile name, username, profile URL, page or shop URL, telephone numbers, email addresses, and any claimed business address
Offer or listing	Product description, price, photographs, advertisements, delivery promises, warranties, and refund terms
Conversations	Complete chats, payment instructions, admissions, excuses, threats, and refund promises, including dates and times
Payment records	Receipts, transaction reference numbers, amount, date and time, payment method, and displayed recipient details
Delivery records	Tracking number, waybill, packaging, photographs of what arrived, and any existing unboxing video
Complaint history	Platform tickets, bank reports, emails, acknowledgments, and responses
Other relevant records	Suspicious links, emails with their original headers where available, and account-login or security alerts

Retain original files and the device containing the messages. Keep unedited copies; use separate copies for highlighting or redaction. Screenshots are useful, but a cropped image may omit the account identity, timing, or surrounding conversation needed to understand it.

Write a short chronology while events are fresh: what was offered, what persuaded you to pay, when you paid, what happened afterwards, and how much remains unrecovered.

Treat the name on a receiving account as an investigative lead, not conclusive proof of who operated the scam. Similarly, an ID photograph sent by a seller may belong to someone else.

3. Choose the reporting route that matches the problem

Your concern	Where to start	Purpose
Money was transferred or your financial account was compromised	Your bank, card issuer, e-wallet, or remittance provider	Secure the account and investigate payment or recovery options
You suspect deliberate online fraud	PNP cybercrime unit or NBI	Criminal investigation and evidence gathering
You need cybercrime assistance or routing	CICC hotline 1326	Assistance and coordination
A business failed to deliver, misrepresented goods, or refused an appropriate remedy	Seller/platform complaint process, then DTI where appropriate	Consumer complaint resolution
Your bank or e-wallet has not satisfactorily addressed your complaint	BSP, after complaining to the institution	Escalation concerning a BSP-supervised institution
Your personal information was unlawfully processed or disclosed	National Privacy Commission (NPC), where the matter falls within its jurisdiction	A separate data-privacy complaint

The PNP and NBI are designated cybercrime law-enforcement authorities under Section 10 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. CICC advertises 1326 as a 24/7 assistance hotline through its official advisory.

You may need more than one route. For example, a bank fraud report and a criminal investigation can address different aspects of the same incident. Tell each office about reports already made and keep the reference numbers consistent.

4. Report suspected fraud to the PNP or NBI

Approach a PNP cybercrime office or an NBI office and explain that you want to report suspected online fraud. If you are unsure where to go, ask your nearest police station for referral or call CICC for assistance.

Bring identification, your chronology, payment records, and copies of the available evidence. Ask the receiving office about its requirements for a complaint-affidavit and supporting attachments.

Your account should explain:

Who contacted you: Include known identities and account identifiers, marking uncertain information clearly.
What was represented: Identify the promise or claim that persuaded you to act.
What you did because of it: Describe the payment, disclosure of information, or other action.
What loss followed: State the amount paid, any amount recovered, and other documented damage.
Why you suspect deception: Explain the facts rather than simply saying “scammer.”
Where you were: Record your location during relevant communications and payment, since jurisdiction may depend on where acts occurred.

A hotline call, social-media report, or police blotter entry should not be assumed to complete the formal criminal-complaint process. Under the Rules of Criminal Procedure, a criminal complaint is a sworn written accusation. Ask what remains necessary for investigation and referral to the appropriate prosecutor. Rules of Court, Rule 110

Request an acknowledgment or reference number and the investigating office’s official follow-up details. Ask investigators about preserving relevant platform or service-provider records; a personal screenshot collection cannot replace records that authorities may need to obtain through lawful procedures.

Is every failed online purchase estafa?

No. A delayed delivery, defective item, or contractual breach does not, by itself, establish criminal fraud.

An online scam may constitute estafa under Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act No. 10175, depending on the evidence. For estafa by false pretences, the deceptive representation must precede or accompany the fraud; investigators must establish the other required elements as well. Article 315, as amended by Republic Act No. 10951, Republic Act No. 10175, Section 6

Describe the conduct accurately and let investigators or counsel assess the proper offence. Using the internet does not automatically make every dispute “computer-related fraud,” which has its own statutory elements.

5. Use the platform’s complaint process and DTI for a consumer dispute

Open the marketplace’s order-specific dispute or refund process. Separately report a fraudulent listing, impersonation, or account where applicable. Keep screenshots of your submission and its acknowledgment.

If you dealt directly with a seller through Messenger or another chat service, preserve your written request for delivery, explanation, or refund. If the seller blocked you or the complaint mechanism is unavailable, document that too.

Understand the seven-calendar-day rule

For transactions covered by the Internet Transactions Act, Section 24 requires use of the digital platform’s, marketplace’s, or e-retailer’s internal redress mechanism before filing with a court or appropriate government agency or pursuing alternative dispute resolution. The mechanism is deemed exhausted if the complaint remains unresolved seven calendar days after filing. Republic Act No. 11967, Section 24

This is not a seven-day deadline for reporting every scam or a guaranteed refund period. Alert your financial provider and seek urgent law-enforcement assistance while completing the relevant consumer steps.

How to approach DTI

Use the DTI Consumer CARe portal and follow its registration and complaint instructions. DTI also identifies consumercare@dti.gov.ph for consumer assistance. Its current public guidance directs consumers to the CARe system. DTI complaint advisory

Prepare:

Your name and contact details.
The seller’s business name, online account, and available address.
Order and payment details.
A concise explanation of the problem.
Supporting documents and your earlier complaint attempts.
The remedy requested, such as delivery, replacement, or refund.

For matters within its jurisdiction, DTI may pursue consumer complaint resolution; concerns outside its jurisdiction may be referred to another office. Follow any instructions for mediation or a formal administrative complaint. Government guidance on DTI Consumer CARe

Does DTI cover every Facebook or social-media transaction?

No. The Internet Transactions Act covers qualifying business transactions but excludes genuine consumer-to-consumer transactions outside the ordinary course of business. A personal account can still be used to operate a business; the account label alone does not settle coverage. Criminal and ordinary civil remedies may remain available for private transactions. Republic Act No. 11967, Sections 3–4

6. Escalate an unresolved bank or e-wallet complaint to BSP

First complain to the financial institution through its official consumer-assistance process.

If the concern remains unresolved, use BSP Online Buddy (BOB) through BSP’s official channels. Alternatively, BSP provides a Complaints, Inquiries and Requests form that may be emailed to consumeraffairs@bsp.gov.ph.

Include your original complaint to the institution, its reply if any, supporting documents, contact details, and the resolution you seek. BSP’s published guidance also explains its alternative submission channels. BSP Consumer Assistance Channels and Chatbot

This escalation concerns a supervised institution’s financial product or service. It does not replace reporting the suspected scammer to law enforcement.

7. Keep recovery expectations realistic

Possible recovery routes include a seller or platform refund, an applicable payment dispute, recovery of funds through financial institutions, or a civil claim.

Under the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act, financial institutions can incur restitution liability for specified failures, including inadequate safeguards or failure to hold disputed funds when legally required. That does not make them automatically liable for every scam loss. The facts, applicable duties, and evidence matter; criminal conviction is not a prerequisite to the restitution contemplated by Section 6. Republic Act No. 12010, Sections 6–10

A court claim may also be appropriate. The small-claims procedure has a ₱1 million ceiling for qualifying claims, but the amount alone does not determine whether your case fits. Obtain advice on the proper defendant, procedure, venue, and any required preliminary steps. Supreme Court guidance on expedited procedures

If criminal, consumer, and civil proceedings overlap, disclose them and get advice before filing further cases or signing a settlement. You cannot recover the same loss twice.

Deadlines you should not overlook

Report immediately rather than waiting for a legal filing deadline. Money can be moved and online evidence can disappear.

Platform and payment disputes: Check the deadline applicable to your transaction and provider. Do not assume all platforms, cards, and e-wallets use the same period.
Bank holding documents: Ask for the exact deadline for documents supporting continued holding of disputed funds.
Internet Transactions Act damages claims: Section 28 specifies two years from when the cause of action arose. Republic Act No. 11967
Consumer Act claims: Article 169 generally specifies two years from consummation of the consumer transaction or commission of the prohibited practice, with discovery as the starting point for hidden defects. Republic Act No. 7394

Criminal and other civil deadlines depend on the applicable offence or cause of action. Do not assume that a platform ticket or informal report stops a legal prescriptive period.

Common mistakes to avoid

Deleting chats or returning goods without documentation. Preserve the evidence and proof of any return.
Waiting indefinitely for repeated refund promises. Continue the applicable reporting and dispute steps.
Misdescribing an authorised transfer as an unauthorised transaction. Explain the deception truthfully.
Posting complete IDs, account numbers, or private information publicly. Give necessary unredacted evidence to verified recipients through official channels.
Paying a “recovery agent” who guarantees results. Never provide an OTP, password, or remote access to someone claiming they can retrieve your money.
Assuming an acknowledgment means a case is complete. Check whether further documents, an affidavit, or attendance are required.

When help is urgent

Seek immediate assistance if transactions are continuing, your account or SIM has been taken over, you face threats or blackmail, a child is involved, or a bank’s document deadline is approaching.

If there is immediate physical danger, contact emergency services or the nearest police station. Do not confront the suspected scammer yourself.

Consult a Philippine lawyer promptly for substantial losses, disputed identities, cross-border transactions, overlapping proceedings, or a proposed settlement or waiver. If you cannot afford counsel, ask the Public Attorney’s Office or an IBP legal-aid office about eligibility.

Frequently asked questions

Can I report a small amount?

Yes. A small loss is not, by itself, a reason to leave suspected fraud unreported. State the actual amount and provide whatever evidence you have.

Can I report someone whose real name I do not know?

Yes. Supply the profile URL, username, telephone number, payment details, and transaction records. Say clearly that the real identity is unknown. Identification and sufficient evidence will still be necessary to proceed against the responsible person.

What if I paid cash on delivery?

Preserve the parcel, waybill, payment acknowledgment, listing, and communications. Notify the seller, platform, and courier, explaining each party’s involvement. Do not assume the delivery rider participated in the fraud merely because they delivered the parcel.

What if my ID or personal information was misused?

Secure affected accounts and include the misuse in your law-enforcement report. A separate NPC complaint may be appropriate where data-protection law applies. Follow the NPC’s formal complaint requirements; an ordinary email may not be sufficient. NPC complaint instructions

Will reporting guarantee that I get my money back?

No. Recovery depends on the evidence, available funds, responsible parties, and applicable legal or contractual remedies. Prompt reporting improves the opportunity to take protective action, but no legitimate authority can promise a particular outcome.

This article provides general Philippine legal information, not advice on a particular case. Procedures and remedies depend on the facts and documents. Source-check date: 18 September 2026.