THE CHAMBER of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations (Creba) Davao Chapter partnered with the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Cyber Response Team to protect the public against real estate scams. On Sept. 6, Creba and the DCPO educated members and guests during a forum at SMC Convention Center on cybercrime activities in the country. Lt. Cedric Suanco, Cyber Response Team leader, enlightened participants on cyber threats, common vulnerabilities that target victims, as well as the history of cybercrime in the Philippines. He also elaborated on the red flags of scams and shared safety tips for users to prevent being lured into fraud. Suanco highlighted the subject of fake listing/property duplication, a real estate scam where fraudsters copy legitimate property advertisements of photos, descriptions, or titles and repost them online with false contact details. Buyers or renters are lured into paying “reservation fees” for properties they do not own or manage. According to cybercrime investigator SSg Patrick Verzosa, cybercrime cases in Davao City in 2025 increased compared to previous years. The most prevalent incidents are online libel on social media, booking scams of resorts, and hacking. He also said that there are seldom complaints of fraud in the real estate industry since traders and retailers are more aware and educated on the dangers of fake online advertising. Under Republic Act 91 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the penalty for transacting proceeds of unlawful activity is imprisonment of seven to 14 years with a fine of P3M up to twice the value of the money involved. Republic Act 10175 or Cybercrime Prevention Act states that any person found guilty of any of the punishable acts under Section 4 shall be punished with imprisonment of prision mayor (six years and one day to 12 years or a fine of at least P200,000 up to P1M (or higher depending on the crime)). Diosdado Mahipus Sr., chairman of the Davao Chapter of the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association, gave a plaque of appreciation to Lt. Cedric Suanco, Davao City Police Office Cyber Response Team leader, at the sidelines of the event at the SMX Convention Center on Sept. 6, 2025.
