Police warn vs online scams involving fake theme park tickets

MANILA, Philippines — The police Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) warned the public on Wednesday against buying fake theme park tickets online.

ACG chief Senior Superintendent Marni Marcos Jr. issued the warning when a family sought police assistance after being duped of P15,000 by an online scammer who sold them fake tickets to a theme park.

“While doing things online has made our tasks faster and more convenient, criminals are also trolling users looking for people to defraud with their hard-earned money,” he said.

In her complaint with the ACG, Jennifer Chua of Bacoor City, Cavite said she contacted a former college classmate, who offered her vouchers that she claimed could be used at several theme parks in Luzon.

She said she wired P15,000 to her former classmate.

Chua claimed that when she and her family went to DreamPlay, they found out that the vouchers were fake.

“Let this incident be a lesson to everybody, especially those who are increasingly using the internet for online transactions, that we should all be wary and make sure that we are dealing with the right people or entities in the internet,” Marcos said.

Police are tracking down Chua’s former classmate, whose identity was withheld pending her arrest.