Her Child’s Photo Stolen for a Fake Kasambahay Sob Story

A mom from Bicol experienced a parent's fears in a highly-digital world. Like many parents, Mariel Ruffa Alemania shared a photo of her daughter on social media. What seemed like an ordinary post soon turned into a nightmare.

The mom of one shared on Threads, “Merong nag-post ng mukha ng baby ko nung kumakain kami kahapon sa Mcdo. Kasama pa yung caption ko sa My Day.” Her daughter’s photo was stolen and used for “online limos” on Threads.

The “online limos” post shares a seemingly believable story: “Selfish ba ko? Na kahit 150 na lang pera ko, nag Mcdo pa kami? When was the last time I ate McDo? I barely even remember. Today, all I have is 150 pesos, a pounding migraine, an exhausted mind, and eyes that are struggling to stay open. Hello, 22, a single mom. Wala na rin akong mga magulang, kaya kaming dalawa na lang talaga ang magkasama sa buhay. Sa totoo lang, hindi madali. May mga araw na pakiramdam ko hindi ko na kaya, pero wala akong ibang pagpipilian kundi magpatuloy para sa anak ko.”

According to Mariel, those are all lies. Her original post was only a 'My Day' on Facebook, which disappears after 24 hours. She didn’t own a Threads account before the photo-grabbing incident.

“Hindi ako talaga nagpo-post dito sa Threads. Pero may nag-message sa akin na kaibigan ko na may nanghihingi daw ng pera dito sa Threads, at ginagamit pa ang mukha ng anak ko at sinasabi pa na sinasaktan ako ng asawa ko at wala na raw akong mga magulang. Jusko po!” Mariel wrote. She intends to clear her name and explain that her child’s photo was stolen and misused.

Under the Data Privacy Act (RA 10173), stealing a minor’s photo and posting it without consent is considered a violation. Publishing an identifiable minor’s image without the explicit consent of their lawful guardian is illegal and may be punishable by law.

Smart Parenting reached out to Mariel and retold her story: “May nag-share sa akin, nag-message sa akin 'yung co-worker ko. Tinanong niya kung nagpo-post daw ba ako sa Threads kasi andun ang picture ni baby.”

“Sabi pa ng co-worker ko, madami na daw naaawa sa amin sa comments. Kaya talagang na-shock ako. Kasi una sa lahat, hindi ko talaga alam 'yung Threads. Napa-download lang ako nung nalaman ko na nandoon na yung picture ng anak ko na kumakain sa McDo.”

“Hindi po ako manglilimos kahit gipit ako at lugmok sa buhay. Hinding-hindi ko po gagamitin ang picture ng anak ko para lang magkapera,” she continued.

Mariel also shared the backstory of the photo: “9 months old na po ang anak ko kahapon. Nag-McDo kami dahil iyon lang po ang paraan ko para makahinga sa stress ko sa buhay. Stay-at-home mom ako at first-time mom din.”

She also explained that she never created or used any dummy account on Facebook or any other social media platform. Once again, she asked for help from netizens: “Please help me take down 'yung post na 'yon dahil inosente ang anak ko. Walang kamuwang-muwang sa mundo para gamitin panlimos.”

She added, “Maayos po ang buhay namin. Hindi namin kailanman magagawang manlimos dito sa Threads at gamitin ang anak ko. Wala po akong trabaho, pero na-po-provide naman po ng partner ko ang needs ng anak ko. Hindi ko inaasahan na sa halagang 150 pesos na post ko sa My Day—na simpleng bonding namin ng anak—magkakaganito pa. Tulungan niyo po akong makarating ito sa nag-post ng mukha ng anak ko.”

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Mariel shared with Smart Parenting that the original poster who stole her daughter’s photo has already deactivated their Threads account. The said post was already deleted. According to the screenshot she posted, the username was “plucky1988” without any display photo.

She also shared that there have been many “online limos” on Threads. “Ngayon ko lang nalaman na marami palang ganoon doon, bukod pa sa Facebook. Hindi ko talaga in-expect na ma-experience namin 'to sa baby namin. After kong mag-post sa Threads, nawala na rin agad yung post at yung account ng impostor. May nagsabi pa sa comments na nakita rin nila sa TikTok, pero hindi ko na nahanap at baka tinanggal na rin.”

Because of what happened to them, Mariel became more cautious in sharing her daughter’s photos on social media. “Ngayon, naka-private na ang mga pics ng baby ko. Nag-stop din muna ako sa pagpo-post sa My Day na kasama siya. Kapag nag-post ako ng pictures namin na kasama ang anak ko, naka-only me na lang palagi since takot ako na baka maulit na naman.”

She reminded everyone not to send money to anyone on social media. Just like any online transaction, due diligence is a must before paying or sending money. The basic rule is always to verify the identity of the person you are going to pay.

Mariel’s experience serves as a cautionary tale for parents about the risks of sharing their children’s photos on social media and the importance of staying vigilant against online scams. It’s also a fair warning not to use others’ photos without permission, as it may be punishable by law.

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