The rise of social media and online dating has created new avenues for connection, but also for exploitation.

In a case that exemplifies this danger, several Filipina women were victimized by a charismatic man who leveraged their hope for a sincere relationship into large-scale financial fraud.

In February 2021, 40-year-old “Risa” (a pseudonym) met a young man named “John Chu” on a dating app. John presented himself as a successful Chinese businessman, CEO of a construction company, and heir to a family fortune.

After four months of online conversation, they met in person.

John, who often had bodyguards and an “attorney” present, convinced Risa that a viable future with him required her to invest in his family’s construction business. He promised a 10% monthly return on her investment.

Believing his commitment and longing for a stable relationship, Risa invested 600,000 pesos into the venture. John later offered another “house investment,” claiming his strict mother required her to share the cost. Risa’s financial commitments ballooned, pushing her into debt.

Unbeknownst to Risa, John was simultaneously courting other women with the same irresistible offer. “Sofia” (a pseudonym), a 38-year-old woman separated from her husband, also met him online. John impressed her with expensive dates and quickly proposed an investment in his 150 million peso construction project.

Sofia, believing the opportunity was genuine, gave him an initial payment of 500,000 pesos. He used her money to take her on a 70,000-peso shopping spree, further cementing her trust. The common thread in all these courtships was the quick transition from romantic promise to financial urgency.

Another victim, “Regine” (a pseudonym), was lured by “Louis,” another alias of John Chu.

Louis convinced Regine to invest in a “Paris trip” needed to gain his parents’ support, asking her for 60,000 pesos to cover the flight and visa costs, only to demand an additional 25,000 pesos later, claiming rising airfare and visa fees.

Risa’s suspicions were finally aroused when she tried to search for “John Chu” online and found conversations labeling him a scammer. She realized his stories were all fabricated.

In October 2023, Risa approached the Philippine National Police (PNP) for help recovering her funds, only to learn her debts had mounted to millions.

The investigation quickly uncovered John Chu’s true identity: Jeremie Jaime. He was a notorious fraudster with a past conviction for a serious crime and was not a wealthy Chinese businessman. His elaborate life was financed entirely by the money he extracted from women.

The NBI Cybercrime Division planned an entrapment operation using Regine as bait, promising Jeremie the 25,000 pesos he requested. Jeremie was arrested at the rendezvous point, where officers recovered cash, his four bank passbooks, and packets of cocaine.

The investigation revealed Jeremie’s systematic approach: he would schedule up to five dates a day with different victims, using different aliases and focusing solely on the financial payoff.

Victims who successfully recruited others into the scheme, like those he scammed while exploiting a pandemic-era Canadian visa loophole, sometimes received a small salary, turning the operation into a pyramid scheme.

Rosanna Solita, an immigration consultant who previously exposed Jeremie’s Canadian scam under the company PLC (Promised Land Consultancy), confirmed his long history of fraud.

The victims, including Michael, a man who paid PLC 6,500 Canadian dollars, were often pressured into recruiting others to pay off their own mounting debts.

Jeremie was charged with large-scale estafa (fraud). More victims came forward after the news of his arrest.

Risa, Sofia, and Regine now face the difficult task of recovering their life savings from the man who used their desire for love and security against them. The case serves as a stark warning about the dangers lurking in online dating and investment scams.