Gambling Scams Rise 76% As Fraudsters Exploit Gaming Surge

Scammers are now using online gambling sites to prey on Filipino victims by luring them with promises of quick returns.

Latest data from scam prevention app Whoscall showed that Filipinos are no longer dealing much with scam calls or texts, but are now being targeted by fraudsters on social media, especially on Facebook.

In particular, reports of risky links picked up by 38 percent to 18,735 in the second quarter, from 13,602 in the first quarter, highlighting how scams are migrating to online channels.

Online gambling links recorded the highest surge at 76 percent, to 4,308, as scammers exploited Filipinos’ fondness for betting games. Currently, policymakers are crafting tighter regulations on online gambling, from preventing underaged gaming, to limiting daily buy-in.

Apart from this, links that promote fake incentives, promos and rewards jumped by 57 percent to 4,497, still taking advantage of the desires of many Filipinos to earn quick money. Online loan links also spiked by 20 percent to 9,930, as scammers abused the growing popularity of digital lending to lure victims.

Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center deputy executive director Renato Paraiso said his agency is uncovering as many as 20 illegal gambling sites every day.

These sites are turned over to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) for verification, and if found operating illegally, are blocked from Philippine domain.

Paraiso said his agency is ready to take on a larger role in scanning the web for illegal gambling platforms once stricter regulations are issued.

Mel Migriño, country head of Whoscall developer Gogolook, said text scams fell by 90 percent to 65,035 in the second quarter, from 648,239 in the first quarter. Moreover, Whoscall observed a similar decline in scam calls, to 34,964, from 351,699.

Call, text scams down

Migriño said Filipinos are now more informed about text scams, and most of them are no longer entertaining them. However, Filipinos are finding it difficult to navigate the online realm, where scams are more challenging to distinguish.

Whoscall, an app developed by Taipei-based Gogolook, can detect scam-linked numbers through its global phonebook, alerting users if calls they are receiving are coming from bad actors.

Recently, Whoscall introduced a new feature that enables users to check the authenticity of a content by uploading an image of it on the app.

A network of digital advocates, meanwhile, has urged Meta – the company behind social media platforms Facebook and Instagram – to take down pages of influencers that allegedly pro-mote illegal online gambling.

Digital Pinoys identified 20 influencers and social media pages with a combined following of over 44 million users as among those who are allegedly promoting illegal gambling operations.

At least four of these pages have been suspended on Facebook, Digital Pinoys national campaigner Ronald Gustilo said.

“We thank Meta for swiftly acting on our joint request with CICC (Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center) to take down the pages of influencers blatantly promoting illegal online gambling. We hope the remaining pages flagged in our initial report will be removed in the coming days,” Gustilo said.

One of those suspended was a page of Sachzna Laparan, who had over 9.7 million followers.

In a post on another Facebook page, Laparan described as “fake” the claim that her main page was taken down due to illegal gambling. She said it was suspended for giving away money using a mobile payments app.

“I don’t have any violation regarding promotion ng casino,” she said. The CICC earlier warned influencers promoting illegal online gambling that they could face criminal charges.

“Some of these influencers thought they were untouchable – that we were bluffing. They had more than enough time to comply. They gambled with the law, and now they’re facing the consequences,” Gustilo said.

Sustained campaign

For Sen. JV Ejercito, a nationwide and sustained campaign against illegal online gambling should be launched, citing its damaging effect on Filipino families.

“Let’s stamp out illegal gambling operation. Let us make the world of these operators smaller so we can eliminate them completely,” he said.

He said online gambling platforms, many of which operate outside legal channels, are undermining societal values and targeting vulnerable populations.

Ejercito called on the Department of the Interior and Local Government to mobilize local chief executives against illegal gambling sites and venues.

He also appealed to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, as well as to e-wallet firms and financial service platforms, to block access to gambling websites and cut off financial channels that en-able these operations.

He also called on PAGCOR and the National Bureau of Investigation to collaborate in identifying illegal operators who may be disguising their activities behind licensed entities.

While acknowledging that regulated and responsible gaming can have a place in a modern economy, Ejercito said illegal gambling platforms – especially those that reach younger users – have a corrosive effect on society.

“This is no longer just about vice, it’s a national concern that’s eroding values and draining resources from Filipino households” he said, referring to illegal gambling.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, for his part, warned that the country’s online gambling crisis is being worsened by the unchecked spread of online lending apps (OLAs), which he said are pushing many Filipinos deeper into debt and despair.

The senator said the proliferation of OLAs, often offering harsh and opaque lending terms, has created a “vicious cycle” where individuals borrow money to gamble and continue gambling to repay loans – leaving them in deeper debt.

Gatchalian cited numerous personal accounts and anonymous confessions shared online, where borrowers admitted turning to OLAs as a last resort to fund their gambling losses. Some of these individuals, he said, were students or young professionals who found themselves trapped in mounting financial obligations.

He added that the abusive collection practices of certain OLAs – ranging from harassment to public shaming – have further compounded the mental and emotional distress experienced by those already struggling with gambling addiction.

He recently filed a resolution urging a Senate inquiry into the rise of OLAs and their aggressive debt collection methods.

Senate President Francis Escudero reiterated his stance against online gambling and echoed support for legislative measures to curb or prohibit the practice.

“Three bills or four bills have been filed to either ban or regulate Philippine inland gaming. We will pursue those bills and make sure that it leads to a floor debate and plenary vote,” Escudero added. – With Janvic Mateo, Neil Jayson Servallos