Victor Anastacio reveals he lost P20,000 to scammers on Facebook Marketplace after missing red flags
Comedian Victor Anastacio cautioned others to be wary of scams as he revealed that he lost P20,000 while trying to buy a camera.
Anastacio took to his Instagram account to post a video recalling the details of how he got scammed while shopping online for a Sony ZV-E10 camera to use for his comedy shows.
"Nakita ko sa Facebook Marketplace, ang presyo niya P36,000, P39,000, P33,000. Ngayon nakita ko isa P20,000, ang location sa Quezon City," the actor said.
Anastacio said that he no longer negotiated the price as it was already cheap, which he acknowledged should have been a warning sign, because it was an "unbelievable deal."
Sony's website lists the camera for P42,990 for the body with a 16 to 50mm Power Zoom lens.
As he sold items like a guitar and a watch for less, Anastacio didn't find the lower price for the camera suspicious. "May mga ganong katok din na nagbebenta kapag rush, so naisip ko, posible," he said.
The scammer was wary of Anastacio and asked for a video call to show the gadget, which he deemed legit.
However, the comedian noted that the seller did not show his face during the call and on his profile picture on Facebook—another warning sign he said he should've kept in mind.
The seller also tried getting out of meeting up to complete the purchase, and instead suggested hiring a delivery service. He claimed to be tending to a newborn and living in Laguna, despite the listing stating he was in Quezon City. Anastacio surmised that this might have just been a mistake and pushed through with a courier.
"Kinuha niya ulit 'yung tiwala ko. Sabi niya, 'Sir, dapat sedan. Kapag motor, baka pag-interesan nila, baka kunin. So para sa safety lang sir.' Kinukuha talaga 'yung trust mo eh," he said.
Anastacio was the one who booked the delivery service, so he presumed this was legitimate. "Walang paraan na siya 'yung mamili ng driver. Random 'yun, 'di ba? I think legit 'yung driver."
However, when the delivery rider arrived at the seller's location, neither of their faces was shown during their video call. Anastacio only saw the camera being handed to the courier.
After the comedian made the downpayment, the seller refused to video call. Meanwhile, the delivery driver called with a different mobile number than the one listed in the app to say that the seller's wife was fighting him over the supposed sale of the camera.
Anastacio noted that the wife appeared to have been voiced by a man, which finally clued him in that he had been scammed.
He then ordered the courier to settle the purchase and bring him the camera, but the driver kept saying he should pay the other P10,000 first, as he supposedly didn't want to get caught between the seller and his so-called wife.
"Tapos sabi niya, 'Eh basta sir, ayokong maipit. Kung gusto niyo, pumunta kayo dito. Pumunta kayo sa barangay. Eh since scammer nga sila, alam nila na 'yung location ko malayo. Or 'yung binook nila, ay hindi totoong address nila," Anastacio said, adding that he began to think the driver was in on it.
Anastacio pushed through with the rest of the payment despite his suspicions. He thought there was a 50-50 chance he could still get his purchase. However, instead of going to the comedian's location, the driver went to talk to the seller to see if the payment had reflected, which they claimed had not.
An hour and thirty minutes after the incident, the order was still ongoing, Anastacio said. The driver also began to move away from the seller's pinned location and stopped answering calls.
Anastacio will report the driver to the delivery app and enlist the help of the National Bureau of Investigation's Cybercrime division to track down the scammers.
"Pangalawang beses na na-scam ako eh. Gusto kong i-report sa NBI para ma-trace ko kung paano ako magre-report next time na ma-scam muli ako," he said.
He advised his followers to take note of the warning signs if they also plan to shop online, such as not wanting to show their faces during video calls.
How to stay safe from online scams
According to Facebook, scams on Marketplace can happen to both buyers and sellers, which is why it’s important to know what scams are and how to recognize them.
When talking with a buyer or seller privately, it is advised that you should avoid doing it outside of Facebook and Messenger, as these make detecting scams difficult to track.
You should also be wary of people who push you to move quickly to complete a sale, as this can be an attempt to get around any normal and safe practices.
When dealing with payments, Facebook underscored that you should use trusted payment services, ask to see valuable items in person before sending payment, and avoid sellers who request payment before providing the item.
Buyers are also advised to double-check deals that seem too good to be true, as scammers try to lure shoppers with underpriced items.
Additionally, always check the seller's profile to learn more about them. You can check their ratings and reviews from other buyers, mutual friends, their other listings, and their Marketplace activity.
The Department of Trade and Industry also says to trust your instincts and not to proceed with transactions when you have any doubts about the merchant at any step of the transaction process.
