The Rising Number of Bogus Buyers

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Using large social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are great for promoting businesses and selling products, especially when the pandemic hits. Most businesses may have encountered a lot of bogus buyers. The number of posts that are circulating in social media are increasing rapidly and this needs to stop since the pandemic has already affected many businesses to fall.

Here are some ways that can help avoid bogus buyers?


  • Conduct a profile research of the buyer using ICT. Using large social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram are great for checking

  • Use web applications such as google forms to make questions about asking their real name, address and mode of payment

  • Ask the buyer to pay first

  • Observe how they communicate

What to do if you have been scammed?


Under the Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code, estafa or swindling is committed with unfaithfulness or abuse of confidence, by means of false pretenses or fraudulent acts, and through fraudulent means. Violators may get a maximum jail time of up to 20 years depending on the amount of fraudulent transaction involved (CNN Philippine Staff, 2020). Click here to read more


  • Report the account

  • Report it to the police if necessary

  • Keep the contact number so you can track them as a bogus buyer

  • Document calls and texts


How can we help?

  • Firstly, don’t be THE person

  • Raising awareness by posting on social media, blogs, etc. about the Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code

  • Making infographics

  • Telling friends that are thinking of starting a business about how to recognize and avoid bogus buyers


Bogus buyers are mentally ill because they have the joy and pride in deceiving and annoying people. But we should not simply tolerate them since this can affect a big part of a person's business, especially small local ones. I hope this can help.

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