MANILA — Television and radio anchor Migs Bustos filed a complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday after his identity was allegedly used in a love scam. 

Bustos first sought the help of the Department of Justice in December, after a victim reached out via email, claiming that a fraudster had been using his photos from social media to deceive others.
How to spot love scammers? CICC, Scam Watch PH share tips

According to Bustos, the scam involved a person who allegedly tricked someone into losing $200,000, using photoshopped images and videos, as well as AI-generated content featuring his likeness.

“Meron daw pong naloko ng $200,000 allegedly tapos ginamit niya po ‘yung mukha ko, ‘yung likeness ko, photoshopped photos, videos, may mga AI-generated videos pa,” Bustos said.

“Syempre may onting worry or fear na paano nila nape-penetrate ‘yung network ko? So ang una ko talagang instinct is to file to authorities kasi wala naman akong ginagawang masama,” he added.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago explained that known personalities like Bustos are often victims of identity theft, which is used to lure unsuspecting individuals into financial scams.

PAOCC: Philippine 'love scams' targeting Australian citizens

“Tapos dahil nakaka-influence sila ng mga tao, naniniwala kaagad ‘yung mga tao at nakakakuha sila ng pera na walang kamalay-malay ‘yung biktima,” Santiago noted.

“Gagawin natin ang lahat para masawata ang mga ito,” he added.