By Ivy Tejano
BONGUYAN (FB)
DAVAO CITY – A Davao City councilor has warned over a growing number of fraudulent Facebook pages posing as legitimate resorts, rest houses, and function venues and urged the people to be more cautious during the holidays.
Public Works and Highways Committee chairperson Jessica Bonguyan said scammers are exploiting the holiday rush by creating fake pages that imitate well-known resorts and event venues.
She noted that these Facebook pages used copied photos, branding, and enticing “holiday promos” to lure victims into sending payments to personal bank accounts.
“These scams are getting more advanced, made to look real, updated, and believable.”
Bonguyan revealed that she herself encountered an attempted scam involving a resort promotion that initially appeared legitimate.
She said she decided to verify the offer through the resort’s official page, where she learned that the account she had been interacting with was fake.
“Had I not taken that extra step, I would have been another victim,” she said, encouraging Davaoeños and tourists to observe strict precautions when making online reservations.
Bonguyan stressed that no one is immune to these scams, emphasizing that fraudsters are strategic and highly skilled at imitating real businesses. “When in doubt, stop and verify,” she added.
She reminded everyone to verify the authenticity of pages, contact establishments through their official websites or verified phone numbers, be wary of offers that seem “too good to be true,” and scrutinize payment instructions, mainly when deposits are directed to personal accounts.
The councilor called on the public to stay alert throughout the Christmas season, saying that scammers often thrive when people are rushing to secure bookings for their families.
“Awareness is our strongest defense,” she said. “We must encourage our constituents to be discerning and deliberate when engaging in online transactions.”
Bonguyan moved to pass a resolution urging heightened public vigilance against online resort booking scams.
