As online activity intensifies during the Valentine’s season, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) and East West Bank have issued a strong and urgent warning: fraud schemes are surging, and scammers are aggressively targeting customers amid the spike in digital transactions and heightened emotions of the “love month.”
The lenders stressed that criminals are deliberately exploiting the season—rolling out fake Valentine’s promotions, bogus gift delivery notices, romance scams, and alarming “urgent” messages crafted to pressure victims into surrendering sensitive banking information. Phishing links masked as exclusive deals or delivery updates can redirect users to sophisticated fake websites designed to steal login credentials, card numbers, and one-time passwords (OTPs).
The banks underscored that the seasonal boom in online shopping and fund transfers significantly amplifies the risk of card-related fraud. Fake online stores, compromised payment gateways, and “too-good-to-be-true” offers are proliferating. Romance scams, in particular, are preying on emotional vulnerability—manipulating trust and affection to extract money and personal data.
In separate advisories, BPI and EastWest delivered a firm reminder: banks will never ask for OTPs, PINs, passwords, or complete card details. Customers were urged to steer clear of suspicious links, refuse to share confidential information, verify promotions exclusively through official websites and apps, and use only secure internet connections when conducting financial transactions.
They further advised customers to actively safeguard their accounts—monitor balances regularly, enable real-time transaction alerts, set spending limits, and report any suspicious activity immediately through official customer service channels.
“Valentine’s Day is about trust and care, and those same values should guide how we behave online,” said Luigi Manianglung, head of fraud risk operations at BPI, reinforcing the call for heightened vigilance as scammers seek to capitalize on seasonal digital activity.
The message from both banks is clear: protecting personal and financial information is not optional—it is essential. This Valentine’s season, vigilance may be the most meaningful act of care consumers can extend to themselves and their loved ones.
