“ONLINE SCAM” COMPLAINTS IN THE PHILIPPINES

A practical-legal guide for victims, lawyers, law-enforcement officers, compliance teams, platform operators, and policy makers (Last updated 24 June 2025)

1. What counts as an “online scam” under Philippine law?

Statutory basis	Relevant offence	Typical scenario
Revised Penal Code (RPC), Art. 315 (2)(a)	Estafa by deceit (swindling)	Seller receives payment via GCash/online bank transfer but never ships the goods.
Republic Act (RA) 8792 – E-Commerce Act	Electronic/online fraud; “hacking” of e-commerce systems	Tampering with a shopping‐cart API to obtain discount codes.
RA 10175 – Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012	1) Computer-related fraud (s 6 & 8), 2) Phishing (under “computer-related identity theft”), 3) Online libel used to defraud	Fake bank-login page collects credentials, then transfers funds.
RA 8484 – Access Devices Regulation Act	Unauthorized use of credit/debit card numbers or one-time passwords	SIM-swapped OTP, card charged overseas.
RA 11765 – Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act (2022)	Fraud by covered financial service providers and their agents	Bogus “forex” app promising 15 % weekly returns.
RA 7394 – Consumer Act + DTI Internet Transactions Act (pending bicam/2025)	Misrepresentation of goods or services	Counterfeit gadgets sold on a livestream platform.
Other sector-specific laws	e.g. RA 8799 (securities), RA 9829 (pre-need), Insurance Code	Investment or insurance “crowdfunding” scams.

Key point: Wherever a classic crime (estafa, falsification, identity theft, money-laundering) is “committed by, through, and with the use of information and communications technologies,” RA 10175 automatically applies and raises the penalty one degree higher (RA 10175 s 6).

2. Where to complain (criminal route)

Office	Jurisdiction & mandate	Best for	How to file
NBI Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD)	National	Large-scale, multi-victim, cross-border scams	Walk-in; or email complaint-affidavit + IDs & evidence
PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG)	National; 18 Regional ACG Units	SIM-swap, online romance/“budol” scams	24/7 e-Complaint Desk (Facebook, hotline, or in-person)
Cybercrime Offices of Local Police/City Prosecutor	Local territorial jurisdiction (see RA 10175 s 21)	Small-value or localized scams	File Complaint-Affidavit with attachments
DOJ-Office of Cybercrime (DOJ-OOC)	Central authority for cybercrime mutual legal assistance & digital evidence preservation orders	Subpoena to Facebook, Google, telcos; MLAT requests	Through investigating prosecutor or direct referral
AMLC / Anti-Money Laundering Council	Freezing & forfeiture of scam proceeds	Rapid freeze of bank/e-wallet accounts	Via law-enforcement partner’s request

Venue rule: Under RA 10175 s 21, a cybercrime may be filed where any element occurred or where any part of the computer system is physically located. This lets victims file in Manila even if offender is in another province, easing nationwide man-hunt and bank freeze orders.

3. Evidence checklist (collect before the scammer deletes everything)

Screenshots / screen-recordings of chat, emails, livestream, website.
Transaction records
- E-wallet confirmations (GCash, Maya) – download PDF or request bank statement.
- Blockchain TX hash (for crypto scams).
Courier receipts / airway bills if goods were shipped or faked.
Domain / IP data – use “whois” lookup, grab the registrar name.
Device forensics (optional, but powerful) – surrender phone/PC to NBI for imaging.
Affidavit of victim – notarised; attach copies of IDs and proof of authority if filing for corporation.
List of other victims (if you find them in comment sections) – class complaints help establish syndicated estafa (RPC Art. 315 § 2[a] & b) which carries life imprisonment if over ₱ 10 million and committed by five or more persons.

4. Complaint-Affidavit template (core clauses)

Parties: “I, Juan Dela Cruz, Filipino, of legal age, residing at ….”

Jurisdiction: “The acts complained of were committed via Facebook Marketplace, which is accessible in Quezon City where I accessed the fraudulent listing.”

Narration of facts (chronological, numbered).

Elements of offence (identify RA 10175 + Art. 315 RPC).

Damages & relief sought (restitution, return of device, freeze bank accounts).

List of attachments (Annex “A”-“K”).

Prayer: “Wherefore, it is respectfully prayed that criminal Informations for Estafa under Art. 315 RPC in relation to RA 10175 be filed….”

Verification & affidavit of merit.

Technically, a barangay conciliation (Katarungang Pambarangay) is not required because cyber-fraud is an offence punishable by imprisonment of more than one year (LUPA Law & DOJ circulars).

5. Prosecutorial and trial flow

Complaint-Affidavit ──► Office of the City/Provincial Prosecutor
   │ (15 days to submit counter-affidavit)
   ▼
Resolution & Information ──► DOJ-OOC for digital evidence request (optional)
   │
   ▼
Cybercrime Court (designated RTC branch) ──► Warrant to Search, Seize and Examine
   │
Arraignment │ Pre-trial │ Trial │ Decision

Average timeline: 2–3 years to verdict; freeze orders under AMLA can be issued within 24–48 h once probable cause is shown.

6. Civil, administrative and consumer remedies

Forum	Cause of action	Advantages
Small Claims Court (SC A.M. 08-8-7-SC)	Up to ₱ 400 000	No lawyer needed; 30-day resolution goal
DTI / future E-Commerce Bureau	Violations of Consumer Act; refund rules	Mediation within 10 days; DTI can impose fines, suspend online sellers
BSP – Consumer Assistance Mechanism (CAM)	Unauthorized bank/e-wallet transfer	BSP may order reimbursement within 10 BD if “zero liability” proven
SEC EIPD	Investment scam / Pyramid	Cease & desist order, asset freeze, ₱ 5 M fine per violation
NPC (National Privacy Commission)	Personal data theft	Compulsory disclosure of breached records; penalties up to ₱ 5 M

Victims can pursue civil damages simultaneously with criminal proceedings (Art. 29, Civil Code).

7. Penalties snapshot

Offence	Imprisonment	Fine
Estafa via ICT (Art. 315 + RA 10175 s 6)	Prisión mayor max (12 y) +1 degree ⇒ Reclusion temporal (up to 20 y) when amount > ₱ 2.4 M	Amount defrauded + discretionary fine
Unauthorized access device use (RA 8484)	6 – 20 y (depending on value)	₱ 10 000 – ₱ 5 000 000
SIM-swap/Phishing (Identity theft under RA 10175 s 5)	6 – 12 y	At court’s discretion
Money-laundering of scam proceeds (RA 9160 as amended)	7 – 14 y	Up to ₱ 3 M or thrice value laundered
Failure to register SIM used in scam (RA 11934, 2022)	6 mos – 2 y	₱ 100 000 – ₱ 1 M

Courts may also order permanent forfeiture of digital devices and blocking of domains/IPs used in the fraud (RA 10175 s 10).

8. Cross-border angles

Budapest Convention on Cybercrime – The Philippines acceded in 2018; requests for subscriber info, traffic data, and content data can be routed through DOJ-OOC (24/7 Point of Contact).
MLATs / ASEAN CCOC – Used to intercept Western Union remittances or crypto-exchange KYC files.
INTERPOL Purple Notice – Issued by PNP-ACG for modus operandi alerts.

9. Defences and due-process safeguards for the accused

Chain of custody of electronic evidence (Rule 7, A.M. 01-7-01-SC) – must show hash values, log of access.
Lack of deceit or intent – simple contract breach ≠ estafa; must be fraudulent ab initio.
Unlawful search/seizure – Warrantless onsite “forensics” without consent invalidates evidence.
Venue – Prosecution must allege specific cyber-elements that occurred in the chosen venue.

10. Preventive & remedial measures for consumers

Action	Legal power behind it
Freeze the e-wallet/bank account immediately – call GCash/Maya hotline and demand a Temporary Hold under BSP Circular 1160 (2023) on cyber-fraud loss allocation.
Request recall/chargeback on credit card within 30 days; banks must act per RA 10870 (Credit Card Industry Regulation Law).
Activate telco blocking – submit police blotter to SMART/GLOBE; telcos must block number within 24 h under NTC Memo 005-2023.
Notify employer (for corporate-device compromise) – triggers NPC Breach Notification and mitigates vicarious liability.

11. Compliance pointers for platforms & fintechs

KYC & Video-Verified onboarding mandated by AMLC & BSP; failure can mean administrative penalties up to ₱ 30 M.
Real-time transaction monitoring – flagged keywords (“suki invest,” “double your money”) required under BSP MORB Sec. X806.
30-minute fraud dispute resolution window before crediting to merchants (BSP Circular 1049).

12. Recent legislative trends (2023–2025)

Internet Transactions Act (bicameral version, expected 2025): creates E-Commerce Bureau with power to geo-block scam links and order refunds.
Bank Secrecy Reform Bill: will soon let AMLC access deposit records based on reasonable belief of cyber-fraud, not just predicate crimes.
“Anti-Love Scam Act” (HB 10235) – specific aggravated penalties if romance is used to victimize OFWs or seniors.

13. Practical timeline at a glance

14. FAQs

Can I sue Facebook or Shopee? – Only if they were “in bad faith” or ignored takedown notices under the Safe Harbor provision of RA 8792. Normally they enjoy ISP immunity.
Is barangay mediation required? – No; cyber-fraud is punishable by > 1 year imprisonment, hence exempt under the Katarungang Pambarangay Law.
Prescription period? – 12 years for cyber-fraud (because one degree higher than prisión mayor, RPC Art. 90).

15. Key contacts (2025)

Hotline / Email	Agency
(02) 523-8231 loc 3403	NBI-CCD
(02) 8981-8500 loc 7237	PNP-ACG
cybercrime@doj.gov.ph	DOJ-OOC
consumeraffairs@bsp.gov.ph	BSP CAM
reportphishing@securitybank.com	Example commercial bank fraud desk

16. Conclusion

The Philippine legal framework gives victims of online scams multiple concurrent avenues—criminal, civil, administrative—to recover losses and hold offenders accountable. The system’s success, however, hinges on speedy evidence preservation and inter-agency coordination. Victims should therefore act within hours, not weeks, and should combine a criminal complaint with quick regulatory remedies (bank freezes, chargebacks, DTI mediation).

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For case-specific guidance, consult a Philippine-licensed lawyer.