“Simple lang modus nila. Magcha-chat sila sa relatives ng [inmate] na di umano'y nasa malubhang kalagayan…at kailangan ng pera para pambili ng mga gamot. [Kung] hindi [magbibigay] ng pera ang kaanak, [sinasabi ng scammer na] ililipat ang [inmate sa] ospital o ibang kulungan,” SJDJ Warden Ariel Pabulayan explained.
[Their modus is simple. They will chat with the relatives of the inmate who is allegedly in a critical state and needs money for medicine. When the relatives refuse to send the money, the scammer will warn the family that the inmate will be transferred to a hospital or another jail facility.]
In a screenshot released by the SJDJ, the scammer tells the target that the inmate lost consciousness and was vomiting blood. The scammer also sent a photo of a fake medical prescription worth P1,700 to convince relatives to send money through an online payment.
“‘Pag natakot ang relatives ay magpapadala sila ng pera sa mga scammers at tuluyan na silang mabibiktima [When the relatives become worried, they will send money to the scammers, eventually falling victim to the scam],” Pabulayan said.
Recently, the SJDJ informed the public that another fake account named San Jose District Jail which was caught doing the same modus. While it is identical to the official Facebook account of the SJDJ, the jail facility reminded the public that their office only uses one official account.
In the same advisory, the SJDJ emphasized that their office does not ask for money in exchange for visiting rights for the inmate’s family.
“Kung kayo man po ay [nakatatanggap] ng mga mensahe galing sa mga fake or dummy accounts na may pangalang BJMP or San Jose District Jail at nanghihingi ng anumang halaga kapalit na Makita ang inyong mahal na kaanak [at] sinasabing may malubhang karamadaman ay huwag agad itong paniwalaan. Maaaring ito po ay isang panloloko o scam,” SJDJ said.
Currently, there are two cases of attempted fraud. While the users of the said dummy accounts have not yet been identified, no one has been reported to have become a victim of the said modus.
Pabulayan underscored that similar cases have been reported by other jail facilities in other areas throughout the country. The jail warden advises the public, especially the inmate’s relatives, to coordinate with their personnel if there are concerns.
“On the part of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, parati naman namin nire-remind ang mga relatives ng mga [inmate] na huwag basta-basta maniniwala sa mga ganyang [modus]. Magtanong muna sila sa mga personnel ng BJMP kung totoo ba ‘yan o hindi,” he shared.
