Em Serrano, a Filipino social media influencer based in Abu Dhabi, recently fell victim to an investment scam that cost her AED 37,000, equivalent to more than PHP 584,000. Serrano shared her harrowing experience in a TikTok video, which has garnered over 100,000 views in just two days since it was posted.
In the video, Serrano tearfully recounted her experience, warning her fellow Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) about the dangers of trusting people too easily when it comes to financial investments. "Na-scam po ako ng AED37,000 o P584,600 dito sa Abu Dhabi," she revealed, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
She urged others to be vigilant, stating, "Kaya kayo guys mag-ingat kayo dahil hindi natin alam, yung ina-ate ate natin, yung kaibigan natin. Kahit sobra na yung tiwala natin bibigay talag natin yung 100 percent na tiwala natin." Serrano’s emotional plea was evident as she continued to caution her viewers about the risks associated with trusting others with their hard-earned money, especially in an unfamiliar environment like Abu Dhabi.
Serrano, whose eyes were visibly swollen from crying, shared, "Hindi natin alam na lolokohin lang pala tayo. Kaya medyo namamaga pa nga yung mata ko kaiiyak kahapon." She discovered only yesterday that she had indeed been scammed, adding, "Kasi kahapon ko lang na-confirm at nalaman na totoong na-scam ako ng AED37,000. Take note, dito yan sa Abu Dhabi ah, kaya mag-iingat kayo. Wala talagang pinipili scammin ang mga scammer."
The influencer stressed the prevalence of scams and how scammers do not discriminate in their targets. "Natural na lang talaga yung pag-scam sa kanila eh. Yung nagtiwala ka ng 100% sa tao. Pero ano ang balik? Iniscam ka." For Serrano, the loss was more than just financial; it was her savings accumulated since she started working abroad. "At hindi po biro ang AED37,000 dahil savings ko yun mula noong nag-abroad ako dito sa UAE. Dahil kada AED1 ay napaka-importante dito, lalo na sa mga OFW na di naman kalakihan ang sweldo tulad ko."
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