With the rise of internet and cellphones, is has become very common for Western men to seek relationships with Filipina women via online dating platforms. While online dating is an excellent way to meet a Filipina girlfriend and my experience has been primarily positive, there are a few areas of caution that one should be aware of in order to avoid scams.
The prevalent scams in Philippines online dating often involve catfishing and soliciting money from individuals without any prior face-to-face interactions. To avoid such fraudulent activities, opt for dating Filipina women with verified profiles, conduct video calls to authenticate identities, and refrain from sending money before meeting someone in person. Additionally, promptly report any suspicious behavior online to ensure scammers are swiftly removed from dating platforms, preventing further victimization.
Online dating apps can be a great way to meet Filipina women. Check out my best recommendations in my article: Top Dating Apps For Expats Looking For Filipina Women.
While most Filipinas have genuine intentions, it’s important to develop the skills necessary to identify scammers who target foreigners on dating platforms in the Philippines. This guide will help you avoid common dating scams when pursuing relationships with Filipinas online. I’ll outline red flags to watch for, tips to verify a Filipina’s identity, and best practices to avoid being scammed. With awareness and vigilance, you can find meaningful connections online while steering clear of romance scams.
1) Catfishing In The Philippines
Catfishing, defined by Oxford Languages, is the process of luring someone into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona. This means that the beautiful Filipina woman that you chat with online is not really her, it could be anyone on the other end of the computer.
Catfishers use fake or stolen photos on their profiles, a common scam that uses photos stolen from models and influencers to create attractive profiles. Reverse image searches can help uncover if the photos are stolen. Scammers may also carefully crop photos or use video filters during chats to hide their real identity.
In my experience, the best way to avoid catfish online is to request a video call with her using Facebook messenger or WhatsApp. If she refuses, that is a major red flag and an indicator of a catfish. She might make excuses that she is “too shy” or that she can do a voice call instead of a video call, but I suggest avoiding those altogether.
Also see: The Ultimate Guide to Dating Women in the Philippines
2) Asking For Money For An Emergency
Asking for money for fake emergencies or business opportunities – Scammers may claim they suddenly need money for a medical emergency, to help a family member, or for an investment opportunity. But after you send money, they will either block you or continue asking for more. For example, one man recounted sending a Filipina he met online $500 after she claimed she desperately needed money for her sick baby. He never heard from her again.
Another notorious story among foreign expats in the Philippines is of a Filipina’s father who “died” multiple times. On each occurrence, a gullible foreigner forked over money to pay for the death expenses. However, the father was alive and well the entire time.
3) Asking For Money For School
Pretending to be a student needing help with tuition—Some scammers claim to be students who need help paying for their education. They ask for cash to pay for tuition, books, and other fees. But in reality, they pocket the money while continuing to scam other victims.
While some Filipinas are authentically seeking to further their education, it’s important to remember to never to send money to someone you have never met in person or developed a long-term relationship with. I have met Filipinas on FilipinoCupid who were online looking for a foreign boyfriend. The perceived value of a Western man, under certain circumstances, is that he can help support a Filipina in getting her education.
4) Asking For Money For Transportation To Meet You
Due to the geography of the Philippines, having over 7000+ islands, a common type of online scam is where the women asks for money to come to meet you in person. She will want money in order to “buy a plane ticket” or “buy a ferry boat ride ticket”.
Upon receiving the money via a Western Union transaction, for example, she blocks the victim or never shows up. This scam happened to me once in Medellin, Colombia, and fortunately, I learned my lesson and will never fall for that again.
The better option would be for you to travel to her location. The Philippines has many reasonably affordable travel option to get around to the different islands. Also, you could tell her that once she arrives to meet you for your date, you will reimburse her for her travel expenses.
Also see: Is Cebu City, Philippines Safe For Foreigners and Expats Traveling?
5) Ladyboys Posing As Real Women
Of the 20+ countries I’ve visited, only two stick out as having a plethora of ladyboys (transgenders), especially on the online dating platforms of Tinder and Bumble. Those two countries are Thailand and the Philippines. While some men are attracted to ladyboys and actively seek them out in the Philippines, it can be incredibly frustrating for men like me who seek to avoid them.
It is annoying to see a potentially beautiful woman and then later realizing that it is indeed a ladyboy. Due to photo enhancement tools, filters, and lots of tricks, ladyboys and transgenders can successfully pose as authentic women. I’ve found that the best thing to do is to simply ask them if they are a ladyboy or not. Also, FilipinoCupid seems to have less than Tinder and Bumble, in my experience.
5 Red Flags With Online Dating In The Philippines
When chatting with Filipinas online, there are a number of red flags that may indicate a romance scam. Some key warning signs include:
1. Won’t video chat or meet in person
One of the biggest red flags is a Filipina woman who refuses to video chat or meet up in person after you’ve been communicating for some time. Scammers often make endless excuses as to why they can’t video chat despite having a smartphone or claim they want to meet but then cancel at the last minute.
2. Won’t provide social media accounts
Scammers will often make up excuses why they don’t want to share their Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp profiles with you. I prefer Facebook and Instagram because it gives you a snapshot history of their lifestyle and background. I prefer to see a long history of use dating back in time on their profiles which makes me feel like they are a real person. If the account is recently created or only has a few vague pictures, that is a big red flag.
3. Makes excuses why they can’t meet
Similar to avoiding video chats, scammers will come up with all kinds of elaborate stories why they can’t meet up in person, like a sudden illness, family emergency, no transportation or lack of money. But they’ll never want to meet face-to-face.
4. Bad grammar indicative of foreign scammers
Though English proficiency varies in the Philippines, very poor grammar, excessive misspellings, and awkward phrasing can indicate a foreign scammer. Generally, Filipino people have a decent level of proficiency in English which is a significant reason why so many corporate call centers have been moved there and Filipinas tend to take pride in their grammar and spelling.
5. Asks questions but shares little about themselves
When chatting, does the Filipina seem very curious about your life and finances but offers little information about herself? This one-sided interest could mean she’s gathering intel for scamming. Don’t share too much about yourself online, especially your finances. Stick to more fun subjects like your hobbies and interests.
Want to date outside the Philippines? For an international guide: How To Stay Safe While Dating Women Internationally (8 Tips)
Verifying a Filipina’s Identity
It’s essential to take steps to verify the identity of Filipina women you meet on dating sites before becoming invested. Here are some tips:
- Use a reverse image search on their photos using a site like TinEye or Google Images. This can reveal if they’ve used fake or stolen photos.
- Look for social media accounts that are consistent with each other. For example, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter showing the same identity over time. Beware of accounts with few posts or friends as they may be fake.
- Look for social media accounts with a long-range history dating back years. Scammers have often created accounts and uploaded a lot of pictures in recent months.
- Look for profiles with a “verified” identity indicator. Many dating platforms, including Tinder and Bumble, allow for profiles to be verified.
- Request they do a live video chat with you on the dating site’s app. This can help confirm they match their photos and are who they claim to be.
If you have found a Filipina girlfriend online, you might be interested in my article about: How To Maintain A Long-Distance Relationship With A Filipina
Report Scammers
If you encounter a suspected scammer, report them using the dating site’s reporting tools. Most sites have a “Report Profile” button on each member’s page. Gather evidence of the scam attempt, including screenshots of conversations, profile details, and requests for money. Submit these along with your report.
After reporting the scammer, block them so you no longer receive messages. Do not engage with scammers further after reporting, as that gives them opportunities to scam you. By quickly reporting and blocking scammers, you help clean up the site and protect other users. Do your part to keep your fellow daters safe.