Tourists duped in website non-existent resort scam

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province -- Websites luring tourists to a non-existent resort called Costa Luz Resort in here in Barangay Suyo continue to victimize tourists.

Australian tourist  Paul Anthony  Kazla, 30  from  the city  of Adelaide complained to police here after finding out the resort did not exist even as he came a long way from his country.

Kzala said he was scammed of 111.36 dollars  his travel agency, Flight Global Network booked for him for a three day stay in Sagada.

Police said Kazla was  the first tourist to complain at the police station although it was known that some visitors had been looking for Costa Luz Resort early this year and not able to find one.  

This was heightened by warnings posted in Facebook August this year that the resort does not exist in Sagada.

Responding to online advertisements that Costa Luz Resort is located in this municipality, the Sangguniang Bayan passed a resolution stating that said resort does not exist in any part of the town and forwarded said resolution to the National Bureau of Investigation and Internet Crimes Complaint Center for immediate action.

The August 20 resolution was also forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for their appropriate action and to the Department of Tourism. 

It was noted that pictures resembling that of Grand Zion Resort in Tabuk, Kalinga were the same pictures posted in the fake Costa Luz resort promoted and identified to be located in Suyo, Sagada showing lowland setting complete with palm trees and a splendid swimming pool.

Said advertisement was plastered in websites venere.com, hotels.com, and zoover.com with corresponding hotel rates obviously to entice tourists and defraud them of their money.

Sagada is a prime tourist destination north of the Philippines blessed with natural tourist attractions including the famous Bumod-ok Falls of northern Sagada and the Sumaguing cave in southern Sagada in the Cordillera region.

The tourist town registers some 30,000 tourists a year both domestic and foreign visitors from different parts of the world apart from other local visitors who conduct their seminars and conferences in this tourist destination.