Woman files charges over kitchenware “scam”

CEBU, Philippines - A 66-year-old woman yesterday filed charges against a kitchenware management whose staff allegedly deceived her into taking her credit card a few months ago.

Victim Adelaida Zarate appeared before the Cebu City Police Office yesterday and sought the help of the City Intelligence Branch after seeing on television the same experience she had with Hilton Marketing last December.

Zarate said the staff of Hilton Marketing deceived her and took over P50,000 from her credit card without her knowledge.

She narrated that she was walking inside a mall in Barangay Apas at around 4 pm last December 10 supposedly on her way home when a man in his 20s called her attention, held her hand, and invited her to their office.

Zarate found herself taken inside Hilton Marketing where close to 10 people massaged her and talked to her with convincing words.

Just then, an employee told her she won a set of kitchenware and a massage chair from their raffle.

Before she could allegedly claim the prizes, she had to present any identification card.

Since she didn’t bring any, she presented her credit card. A staff said she would verify the card, went outside the office, and returned later with her card.

Without Zarate knowing, the staff swiped her credit card. The following day, she received a bank statement showing a P56,000 decrease from her credit card.

Zarate said she could only cry upon learning that she was deceived. As a cancer patient, she said she would have used the money for her medication.

But she was forced to pay the “stolen” amount until she saw a television news that she actually shared the same experience with one Aseneth Ouano, a human resource manager of MEPZ in Lapu-Lapu City, who also lost the same amount from her credit card to Hilton Marketing last Wednesday.

Zarate was prompted to report her own experience to the police yesterday.

Chief Insp. Romeo Santander, who heads CIB, said they will be filing charges for estafa in relation to Republic Act 8484 or the Access Device Act against Hilton Marketing.

Santander was pleased that a victim has come to pursue a case against the said management because it has been used to settling the matter with their clients, including Santander’s cousin, he said.

The culprits, he said, are found in big malls in Metro Cebu.

“Mu-advise ta sa mga shoppers na if ever naa’y muduol nila using the same modus, dili na lang g’yud mu-entertain ug ihatag ilang mga identification cards ug credit cards, (We advise shoppers that if ever somebody approaches them and use the same modus, they should not entertain and give their identification and credit cards),” the CIB chief warned.

Police will also coordinate with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to pin down the suspects and the management itself. (FREEMAN)