It was a fake romance after all.

Seven members of a syndicate allegedly preying on the lovestruck through an online dating scam have been arrested in a police entrapment operation, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said on Monday.

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Operatives of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) and the Quezon City Police District captured the suspects in Quezon City, Albayalde said in a press briefing.

Police Chief Supt. Marni Marcos, Director of PNP-ACG, said the suspects were operating the fake account of a certain Angelica Palanog, who was in an online relationship with Frederick Egea, an overseas Filipino worker.

The syndicate, through Palanog’s account, has been asking Egea for cash, which, in two years, has amounted to P600,000, Marcos said.

Egea has not met Palanog in person, according to the police.

Albayalde, meanwhile, has advised the public to exercise caution and not to fall prey on this dating scheme.

“We do not engage with somebody na hindi natin kilala. That is one thing. At wag tayong makipagkaibigan sa social media sa hindi natin kilala,” he said.

(We do not engage with somebody whom we do not know. That is one thing. And let us not befriend people in social media whom we do not know.)

Albayalde also warned the public on the rise in cybercrime cases in the country, as more people have taken to social media. /ee

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