ABS-CBN sports news presenter Migs Bustos has filed a complaint with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) after discovering that his identity was used in a love scam that reportedly duped a victim out of $200,000 (approximately ₱11.5 million).
Bustos appeared at the NBI Cybercrime Division on Wednesday, accompanied by his legal counsel, to formally report the unauthorized use of his likeness in manipulated images and AI-generated videos circulating online.
“Meron daw pong naloko ng $200,000 allegedly. Ginamit po ‘yung mukha ko—‘yung likeness ko—photoshopped photos, videos, may mga AI-generated videos pa,” Bustos said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.
He first became aware of the scam last December after receiving an email from a concerned individual who had been victimized by someone using his photos from social media. The scammer allegedly used deepfake materials to gain the victim’s trust and ultimately extort money.
Bustos expressed concern over the potential reach of such scams, especially with the growing accessibility of artificial intelligence tools. “May onting worry o fear na paano nila nape-penetrate ‘yung network ko? So instinct ko talaga is to go to the authorities,” he said. “Wala naman akong ginagawang masama, kaya gusto ko itong maimbestigahan.”
NBI Director Jaime Santiago confirmed that identity theft involving public figures is a growing trend in online scams, particularly those classified as “love scams,” where victims are lured into emotional connections with fabricated personas using stolen images.
“Dahil nakaka-influence sila ng mga tao, naniniwala kaagad ang mga biktima. Nakakakuha ng pera na walang kamalay-malay ang mga naloloko,” Santiago explained. “Gagawin natin ang lahat para masawata ang mga ito.”
Bustos urged the public to remain vigilant and to report similar incidents to authorities. “I am not soliciting money from anyone,” he emphasized. “This incident could happen again if we don’t push back against these scammers.”
The NBI has already begun investigating the case through its cybercrime division.
